"Some 40" vs "40 some" vs "40 odd"?

Question

Are they all the same ? "Some 40" vs "40 some" vs "40 odd"

Syrian planes and helicopters have dropped barrel bombs on Islamic State-held areas in the north-east, killing some 40 people, activists say.

At first, I could think about threesome, foursome but never 40some! :P — Maulik V, Apr 27 '15 at 08:03
kicking off all ambiguities, I'd have used 'approximately/around'! — Maulik V, Apr 27 '15 at 08:05

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 28 '14 at 05:42

1

The usage in:

killing some 40 people

is some sense 7:

adverb
7) approximately; about ⇒ "some ten men"

40 odd might mean the same thing depending on context.

I can't think offhand of an example using 40 some. There is 40 something, meaning in the forties.

answered Dec 28 '14 at 05:42

user3169

40 odd = in the forties? – Terry3497 Dec 28 '14 at 05:45
1

I usually hear some-odd combined, but that may be a Texas dialect thing. "Oh, I had 30-some-odd kids in my class" would mean a range from high 20s (27, 28, 29) to probably around the mid 30s (35, 36, 37). – A.Beth Jan 27 '15 at 19:14
"40-some" is a shortened form of "40-something" that people say where I'm from, which is the American Gulf Coast. Not sure where else it might be said. – Jason Melançon May 27 '15 at 09:38
Canada and we use a mix of both. Either the "30-some-odd" or "some-30" or "30-or-something". – Jun 26 '15 at 11:50
Doesn't 40 odd have a slightly off hand connotation? It feels to me that saying that 40-odd people were killed would probably be regarded as insensitive. – DRF Jun 26 '15 at 12:13

1 Answers1