OK, go ahead and have your fun . So I was a tad imprecise, I admit.

You ask about "shorter" adjectives.

Quieter, quietest, more quiet, most quiet. If you look at the URL above you will see that it depends on the number of syllables, not on the length of the word. I would never say or write quieter or quietest; rather, I would use more and most, and I would do so instinctively, as I believe would most others who have English as their first language. And I have never been more sure of anything in my life . Some will note that I did not say surer. That's because there are, as usual, exceptions for every rule. Right off hand I cannot tell you why I use more sure in that sentence, only that it feels right.


TEd