Almost exactly

[Bigbadmummy]

no it isn't.

It is one or the other.

I have just heard this on the news again.

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Makes me cringe and shout at the TV every time I hear it.

Tell me I am not alone in this rant.

"Almost unique" (and variations) is another good 'un.

Slightly different, but just as irritating, the bloke on The Restaurant who peppers (fnar) every sentence with "If I'm honestly truthful" WTF? Well, you would be, wouldn't you, you moron.

What's the problem with that? To my ears it sounds like "almost full". It would be an exact match except for that one percent variation.

Agree with "honestly truthful" though. You don't need both.

Yes all shades of unique, especially "very unique".

Almost all usages if unique, in fact: something that is unique has never been seen before and will never be seen again.

I have a particular hatred of "most notably". As in, "All the food was good, most notably the beans." If there's only one thing noted, then it's not the most notable thing. It's the only notably thing.

See also, "there was only one choice." No. There must be two options for there to be a choice. If you can only do one thing there is no choice.

SORRY SORRY SORRY
Should, of course, be "the only notable thing".

The shame, the shame.

I think it makes sense because it's like saying "almost identical" or "almost the same" if you are comparing say two pictures when doing the "spot the difference" puzzle.