everything but few

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "everything but few" is not correct in standard English usage.
A more appropriate phrase would be "everything but a few." You can use it when referring to almost all items in a group, with the exception of a small number. Example: "I packed everything but a few essentials for the trip."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Americans may disagree about nearly everything, but few contest the idea that owning your home is a good thing.

The New Yorker

By James Surowiecki Americans may disagree about nearly everything, but few contest the idea that owning your home is a good thing.

The New Yorker

Given its all-inclusive name, you'd think that whoever came up with the idea would have a… Americans may disagree about nearly everything, but few contest the idea that owning your home is a good thing.

The New Yorker

Not everybody agrees with him about everything, but few will deny that he has an indisputable right to produce yet another book on Shakespeare whenever he feels like it.

The New York Times - Books

Some, apparently, believe we may have a robot economy down the road where machines produce everything, but few humans can afford the output.

Forbes

It certainly doesn't work for everything, but few mediums can capture the hell of war or the chaos of riots as well as 360 footage can.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

He does everything well, but few things quite as well as the other three.

The New Yorker

Sheep wandered down streets emptied of everything but a few burned cars.

The New York Times

At first, Wright called the project Sim Everything, but a few years ago he settled on the name Spore.

The New Yorker

The only slight oddity is that several small rooms in this otherwise tightly packed space are empty of everything but a few boxes and pieces of what looks like discarded equipment.

MIT Technology Review

And when the noodles are finally gone, the bowl empty of everything but a few oleaginous blobs, each diner sets his bowl back upon the counter, mumbles "Gochiso-sama deshita" — roughly "Thank you for the meal" — pays the 700-yen fee (about $7.85 at 89 yen to the dollar) and wanders back out into the daylight world where Ganko suddenly seems like a hallucination, a Wonderland dream of noodly bliss.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, it's best to replace the phrase "everything but few" with more standard alternatives such as "everything except a few" or "all but a few". This ensures grammatical correctness and avoids potential confusion.

Common error

Avoid using "but" directly to indicate exclusion in this manner. Instead, opt for prepositions like "except" or the phrase "all but" for grammatical accuracy. "Everything but few" can be easily misinterpreted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "everything but few" functions as a quantifier phrase aiming to express near totality with a minor exception. However, as Ludwig AI clarifies, it's not grammatically sound in standard English and is better replaced by alternatives like "everything except a few".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

33%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "everything but few" aims to express near totality with minor exceptions, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using alternatives like "everything except a few" or "all but a few" for better clarity and grammatical accuracy. This phrase is more common in informal contexts, but authoritative writing should opt for grammatically correct alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

everything except a few

Replaces 'but' with 'except', providing a more grammatically standard way to express exclusion.

all but a few

Uses 'all but' to indicate that nearly everything is included, with a small number being excluded.

almost everything except a handful

Replaces 'few' with 'handful' for a more descriptive and emphatic exclusion.

everything with the exception of a few

Offers a more formal and explicit way to express the exception.

nearly everything excluding a couple

Substitutes 'few' with 'couple', implying a slightly smaller number being excluded.

practically everything save for a few

Uses 'save for' to introduce the exceptions, adding a slightly archaic tone.

almost all items except a minority

Replaces 'everything' with 'almost all items' and 'few' with 'minority' for a more formal tone.

substantially everything apart from a few

Uses 'apart from' to specify the exceptions, making the exclusion clearer.

virtually everything but a small number

Replaces 'few' with 'small number' for a more precise quantification of the exclusion.

the majority of items barring a few

Uses 'barring' to indicate the exceptions, which is less common but still understandable.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the idea of "everything but few" in a sentence?

To correctly express this idea, use phrases like "everything except a few" or "all but a few". For example, instead of saying "I packed everything but few things", say "I packed everything except a few essentials".

What's a more common way to express "everything but few"?

Common alternatives include "everything except a few", "all but a few", or "almost everything except a handful". These options are grammatically correct and widely understood.

Is "everything but few" grammatically correct?

No, "everything but few" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use alternatives like "everything except a few" or "all but a few".

What is the difference between "everything but few" and "everything except a few"?

"Everything except a few" is grammatically correct and means that nearly all items are included, with a small number being excluded. "Everything but few" is not standard English; "except" is the correct preposition to use for this type of exclusion. Use everything except a few.