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Is it correct to write:

"It is not the best of quality" when referring to, for instance, the quality of a video? (Quality being an uncountable noun)

Can one use "of" in this sentence? (As in "the best of luck") Why/why not?

When using countable nouns one could say "the best of friends", right?

ColleenV
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  • I would say either "It is not of the best quality" or "It is not the best in quality." I'm not sure there is a reason for this other than what's idiomatic. Somehow, we say "riding in a car" and "riding on a bus." Prepositions are tricky. –  Apr 08 '16 at 16:34
  • This is very involved. I'll just address the false comparison 'When using countable nouns one could say "the best [/closest] of friends [/pals / buddies]", right?' makes. You can't say 'They are the best of siblings / co-workers / teammates / colleagues / partners'. And 'They are the best of peoples' doesn't have the 'closest' sense. // Also, 'the best of luck' as a wish is really a condensed version of 'I hope you enjoy the best of what luck is available'. Comparisons of similar structures are often highly misleading. I took the dog a bone / I took the dog a walk. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 08 '16 at 17:00
  • Ok, but "It's not the best of quality" is out of the question? Speaking about what's idiomatic? Thank you for answering! –  Apr 09 '16 at 11:12

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