Ford Found On Road Dead Further or Farther Down the Road?

Robert F. Noltenmeier, Clinical Assistant Professor, Graduate Program in Public Relations and Corporate Communication (PRCC), NYU School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS)Automobile folklore holds that Ford cars once stood for Found On Road Dead (FORD). I hear they’ve improved. Growing up, I rode in my family’s Ford Country Squire station wagons (with fake wood on the sides; at one time the wood was real) and the now classic Lee Iacocca-designed Ford Mustang with a 289 horsepower engine — a hot car.Chances are some Fords, like many cars, still are Found On Road Dead at some point. If not, why have 24/7 roadside assistance? But what if the roadside assistant doesn’t know if you’re further or farther down the road?Ford’s new slogan, “Go further,” raises that question. Did the copywriter mean “further” or “farther”? Did anyone approving the copy know the difference? Is there a difference?One more time: “further” means metaphorical not actual distance; “farther” means actual distance. For example, Miami is farther away from Boston than it is from New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks rose further to another record.So what’s the problem? It depends on where you live. Globally, “further” is preferred and means distance. In the U.S., however, “farther” is preferred to mean distance, but “further” is gaining ground — going the distance? — to mean distance. More Americans now use “further” than “farther.” It seems especially popular with weather forecasters, who often say, “The front will move further north.” I cringe, but as long as the front moves away, we’re all happy.One letter makes all the difference between “farther” and “further” — just like one space makes all the difference between “everyday” and “every day.”Blame another car company, Toyota, for blurring that distinction. A few years ago, Toyota’s tagline was “Everyday.” When we discussed this in my NYU classes, students’ eyes glazed over or rolled. Their facial expressions, like most people’s, said, “Who cares?”One’s an adjective and one’s a noun, I explained. Their expressions remained fixed, but some foreheads furrowed, eyebrows rose and jaws dropped. Adjective? Noun? Not processing. That’s another blog.Some people drive Toyotas every day, which makes it an everyday experience, but you can’t drive your Toyota everyday.Don’t forget comparatives. Farther and further are irregular comparatives. You can’t add “-er” or “-est” in the regular way. For example: I drove my Ford farther yesterday than the day before, but I drove it even farther/further (not fartherer) today. Soon I’ll trade it in for a Toyota I’ll drive far every day/everyday. Some weather forecasters and many people say “more clear” instead of “clearer.” Some grammarians say “more clear” is correct. Cant’ anyone agree on anything/any thing anymore/any more?As U.S. business English continues to pejorate, someday/some day you might drive your Toyota everyday and think nothing of it — until it’s Found On Road Dead, which brings us back to Ford.Do you think Ford as a global firm chose “Go Further” instead of “Go Farther” because more people understand and use it? We must look further into that question. [author]About the Author: Robert F. Noltenmeier has been a full-time clinical assistant professor in the NYUSPS PRCC program since January 2009. Before his full-time appointment, he was an adjunct professor in the program since 2004. He remains executive vice president and principal of Quadrant Communications Co., Inc., a Manhattan-based integrated marketing communications firm that counsels clients like Citibank Private Bank, Polo/Ralph Lauren and AT&T, along with nonprofits and foundations. Before Quadrant, he held senior corporate communication and public relations positions with ExxonMobil, Celanese A.G. and Unisys. His board positions include three terms as president of the New York chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (NY/IABC). He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. [/author]