This is so sad on more than one level.

Jay | 9/22/2009 11:13:54 PM #

I dunno... looking at dictionary.com, there doesn't seem to be any mention of a differentiation between furthest and farthest. In particular,

Usage note:
Although some usage guides insist that only farther should be used for physical distance (We walked farther than we planned), farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories. However, only further is used in the adverbial sense “moreover” (Further, you hurt my feelings) and in the adjectival senses “more extended” (no further comment) and “additional” (Further bulletins came in).
The expression all the farther (or further) in place of as far as occurs chiefly in informal speech: This is all the farther the train goes. See also all.

At any rate, when in doubt, I always apply the rule, "is there any chance anyone would be confused if I get this 'wrong'?" In this case, I think it's a resounding "no", so you're in the clear.

Peter | 9/22/2009 11:49:07 PM #

I have been to that part of SD, it is desolate. There is a town out there called BUFFALO, it is just down the road from a town called BISON. I loved seeing the sign that said <----BUFFALO BISON----->.

gojohnnygo | 9/22/2009 11:52:41 PM #

Well good grief Peter! If dictionary.com says they are the same word then they must be! Like the internet could ever be wrong!

Use farther for physical distances and further for metaphorical distance.... Freakin blind internet num nuts...

Bill | 9/23/2009 12:51:06 AM #

What about Alaska?

David | 9/23/2009 12:56:59 AM #

@David

My thoughts exactly. Dunno why people seem to think Alaska's on a different continent.

Bruce | 9/23/2009 1:06:59 AM #

Farther refers to an actual distance: "The ball went farther than I thought."
Further refers to a description of time or measurement other than distance: "Let's not take this any further." or "He went the furthest in his career."

So yeah, the title is wrong. ;)

Ryan | 9/23/2009 2:36:23 AM #

David and Bruce:
the map says "contiguous" not "continental," and contiguous means touching. so yeah, no alaska. alaska is not touching any other state.

j. | 9/23/2009 2:59:41 AM #

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topsy.com | 9/23/2009 3:17:14 AM #

I wonder how close this map resembles the areas of morbid obesity in the USA.

struax | 9/23/2009 4:15:12 AM #

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blogpoll.cn | 9/23/2009 5:41:20 AM #

I love how you can see outline of some roads...interstate 15 in Utah, interstate 90 in NY, 70 and 44 in MO...crazy.

Matt | 9/23/2009 5:53:28 AM #

@struax- not very closely actually. The south comes in very high in obesity and the north east not so much. Pity they didn't include alaska and hawaii.

Shadus | 9/23/2009 7:27:51 AM #

They should do the same stat map with subway.

squipple | 9/23/2009 7:32:04 AM #

They should do the same stat map with ALL of the states.

ManUpstairs | 9/23/2009 8:04:28 AM #

People on Digg are A-holes.

mofo | 9/23/2009 8:16:50 AM #

Interesting that Ohio has the same density as the east coast corrider.

Charles | 9/23/2009 8:33:40 AM #

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, which is based on corpus linguistics (which takes into account the way people actually use the language, rather than just dictating what is "right" and "wrong") : furthest
1 at the greatest distance from a place or point in time [= farthest]:There was a huge tapestry on the furthest wall.
furthest away/from
He walked slowly toward the end of the jury box furthest from the judge.

Language changes with time. Do some real research. Both furthest and farthest are "correct."

cunninglinguist | 9/23/2009 8:35:48 AM #

dgxshiny: Fuck the diggers, they're all 12 year old liberal pussies with pent up aggression for the realization they'll never have sex with a woman. Fix your title and keep your head high.

Kip | 9/23/2009 9:04:48 AM #

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beckyminx.wordpress.com | 9/23/2009 9:15:15 AM #

I'd like to know more about this map. You brought up an interesting point in my head with the mention of Wal-Mart. Since there are McDonald's restaurants inside Wal-marts now, do you think in the 13,000 locations mentioned in the other post, would this map factor in those locations as well, or is it a map of just straight-up McDonald's-only restaurants? I wonder...

Halogenic | 9/23/2009 9:17:12 AM #

No wonder Americans are so fat!

clington | 9/23/2009 9:28:17 AM #

Don't worry, another person actually corrected me (I'm JoeCool1986 on Digg) and showed that you can actually use further for physical distances! You are redeemed, my friend!

JoeCool1986 | 9/23/2009 9:44:21 AM #

According to my Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of Furthest is Farthest.

gannan | 9/23/2009 9:46:25 AM #

LOL 107 miles is not that far!
http://www.electroniccigarettesinc.com

Jill | 9/23/2009 9:46:34 AM #

I live in Idaho and I am a hundred miles away from a McDonalds... Furthest is right too, it's one of those either or kind of words... don't let the jerks bring ya down!

Shirl | 9/23/2009 9:52:16 AM #

Yeah, I'm with you, brother. Furthest is fine and your McDonald's observation is bound to become useful to me someday. But I'd better act fast. Once word gets out, they're just gonna build one in exactly that spot.

Kristina | 9/23/2009 10:19:49 AM #

Compare and contrast: http://calorielab.com/news/wp-images/post-images/fattest-states-2008-big.gif

WestCoastForTehWin | 9/23/2009 11:16:30 AM #

i'd love to see a uk version of this map

COok | 9/23/2009 11:21:41 AM #

Yes Cook, you mean the uk version of the us map right?? Would really like to see that.

surio | 9/23/2009 11:30:04 AM #

Oddly enough, Alaska isn't considered part of the continental US. Perhaps by denotation it is, but to Alaskans the Continental US is synonymous with the Contiguous States, or as they call it, the "lower 48".

Probably the furthest I've ever been from a McDonald's would be Healy, Alaska which sits around halfway between Fairbanks and Anchorage...so it would probably be around 150 miles from a McDonalds.

bjk | 9/23/2009 12:16:09 PM #

Pathetic

Nathan | 9/23/2009 1:18:53 PM #

it'd be interesting to overlay a map of US highways over this

johnr | 9/23/2009 1:25:01 PM #

There are none (maybe 1?) shown in the U.P. of Michigan...which is part of the US.

CleanWater | 9/23/2009 1:58:37 PM #

EITHER

From the New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd edition:

Traditionally, farther and farthest were used in referring to physical distance: "the falls were still two or three miles farther up the path". Further and furthest were restricted to figurative or abstract senses: "we decided to consider the matter further". Although farther and farthest are still restricted to measurable distances, further and furthest are now common in both senses: "put those plants the furthest from the window".

Fletcher Tomalty | 9/23/2009 1:59:20 PM #

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popurls.com | 9/23/2009 2:14:06 PM #

Why is everyone so concerned with the usage of the word furthest? How about looking at how ridiculous it is that McDonalds is everywhere. No wonder 2/3 of you are probably fat.

Mike | 9/23/2009 2:30:05 PM #

Lol at all the Alaska comments. I'm writing this from Bethel, Alaska, and I'm almost exactly 500 miles from the nearest McDonalds.

I wonder how far Adak is from a Mickey D's? Gotta be 900 miles. Unless there is one in Japan that it is closer to, or Russia.

yanbu | 9/23/2009 2:33:39 PM #

Ok, correction, Adak is 1204 miles to Anchorage. Thats probably the farthest inhabited point from a McDonlands in the ENTIRE United States. Hah! Beet that lower 48!

yanbu | 9/23/2009 2:37:51 PM #

You know there is someone in South Dakota right now thinking...HMMM..I should open a McDonalds!! There isn't another one for 107 Miles!

Chalyse | 9/23/2009 2:44:07 PM #

hey every1 whos talking about alaska, i no u guys think ur a bunch of radicals for think up "hey wat about alaska, oh im so cool" but obviously this guy is just talking about the continental united states,..... dumbf***

zach | 9/23/2009 2:45:32 PM #

furthest
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Jump to: navigation, search
[edit] English
[edit] Adjective

furthest

1. Superlative form of far: most far. A synonym of farthest.

samuel | 9/23/2009 2:53:24 PM #

I would like to see one of Subway. I know of a lot more subway locations than McD's.

Calvin | 9/23/2009 3:14:29 PM #

Looks like the Eurotrash has caught on to this. It's interesting how they like to generalize and call Americans fat when the obesity rate in EU countries is just as bad, if not worse in some cases: http://www.eubusiness.com/Health/060911143043.axb5mpid/ It might be time to turn down your superiority setting a couple notches and deal with your own problems before you come over here and rub our noeses in ours.

WestCoastForTehWin | 9/23/2009 3:17:10 PM #

Given that we've clarified farthest/furthest, what would be the furthest point from McDonald's? A fine French restaurant? Maybe Ethiopian or Afghan? Vegetarian?

Steve Buttry | 9/23/2009 3:19:48 PM #

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sortega.com | 9/23/2009 3:50:18 PM #

lol, funny. everyones bitchin' n whinin' about alaska and only 1 person besides me mentions that hawaii is also part of the united states.

Shane | 9/23/2009 4:35:06 PM #

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pigjockey.com | 9/23/2009 5:04:50 PM #

"Farthest."

Randy Rambo | 9/23/2009 5:47:27 PM #

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thebrodyblog.wordpress.com | 9/23/2009 7:42:26 PM #

man, ya know. this is ridiculous if theres really that many mcdonalds' here. and just think, by most of them is a burger king, taco bell and everything else. insane. and sad.

shelbz | 9/23/2009 7:48:11 PM #

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dailypolitikalwindowtinting.betsocial.net | 9/23/2009 8:27:22 PM #

...and only one mile from a Starbucks

Hoops MacCann | 9/23/2009 8:46:13 PM #

It MUST be the furthest distance from at least two Mc Ds. Right in the middle. but could be in the middle of three.

Peter | 9/23/2009 10:11:30 PM #

The furthest you can be from a McDonalds in the US is 145 miles- and that's in North Dakota, the darker region in this graph.

El | 9/24/2009 4:17:53 PM #

I actually think the darkest part of the map would be the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, since it isn't even represented as part of America in this map.

Chelsea | 9/25/2009 9:51:29 PM #

Being from South Dakota...I can tell you there is no Mcdonalds in Glad Valley or Meadow SD. Both towns are less than 100 people...

Ryan | 9/28/2009 6:30:29 PM #

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11even.wordpress.com | 9/29/2009 6:16:55 AM #

South Dakota happy place, too many McDonalds in the world..

Angela | 9/29/2009 11:47:58 PM #

I remembered a story on TV program,earth aggression by broccoli-aliens (POWER PUFF GIRLS).

MAJI_BILTUKURI | 9/30/2009 10:06:52 PM #

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Dagoosh! | 10/14/2009 5:36:23 PM #

Now I want an apple pie.

LED TV fanboy | 10/21/2009 9:50:21 PM #

Wow! Cannot believe there are that many MacDonalds. They must sell a lot of burgers!

Gez | 10/23/2009 7:56:27 AM #

And they wonder why America is #1 for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases!!!!

And the worst part is we are realizing it, but we don't care. And we happily bring our children there to ruin their health as well.

calico | 10/24/2009 2:16:12 PM #

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