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It is an old fat cat

It is a fat old cat

I am a bit confused because here the book says: the order should be like " opinion+size+age+shape+color... If we follow the order, then "the answer would be "an old (age)+fat(size)+ cat...?

Which is the correct order of adjectives?

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    You seem to know that there is an order to adjectives. What do you think the usual order is (size, colour, material, qualifier...)? How would you apply that to this situation. By explaining what you already know, you make the answers more useful. I've included your comment from one of the answers here, because it belongs as part of the question.
    – James K
    Sep 6, 2021 at 18:23

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These particular words are tricky because "fat cat" (both words stressed) is an idiom referring to a prominent wealthy person, and because "old" can be used colloquially as an intensifier after an adjective:

  • We had a great old time yesterday! (stress on GREAT; a folksy way to say we had a really great time)

To refer to a feline that is both fat and old, I would probably say "an old, fat cat".

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  • Yes - because "fat cat" is an idiomatically established collocation, the "most likely" (not "most grammatical", please!) version might not always be clear. It's true that "old dog" can have a special meaning as well (You sly old dog, you!), but I think this NGram chart properly reflects a marked preference for fat old over old fat. The "Royal Order of Adjectives" is just a rough guide for some contexts, not a set of unbreakable "rules". Sep 6, 2021 at 17:39
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I would generally choose "fat old cat" because that emphasizes that you are talking about an actual cat. "fat cat" has the additional meaning of a somewhat derogatory reference to someone who is at the very least financially well-off (if not more). It would of course be just fine to use "old fat cat" if talking about such a person.

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  • I am a bit confused because here the book says: the order should be like " opinion+size+age+shape+color... If we follow the order, then "the answer would be "an old (age)+fat(size)+ cat...? But, I know what you say "old fat cat" in the business world, that kind of person
    – Carol
    Sep 6, 2021 at 16:39
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    As far as that ordering goes, if you are accepting the "fat cat" construction then "fat" is not really a separate adjective in that circumstance ("fat cat" would be considered a single unit in that case) and so the usual ordering does not apply. Sep 6, 2021 at 18:05

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