"One of the only".

[Carol]

zanooda wrote:
> > I was wondering about the expression "one of the only", what exactly does it mean? When Rita Skeeter says: "I am probably one of the only people alive who can say that they know the real Harry Potter" - does she mean "I am the only one" or "I am one of the few"?
> 
Ali:
> It's "one of the few," with the emphasis on few.  It's a little like saying "one of the very few."
> 
> Your instinct is spot on for this one.

Carol:
Exactly. Oddly enough, "only" can modify a plural noun, as in, "we're the only people in the world who belong to this group" or "platypuses are the only mammals that lay eggs," so it isn't always singular. And when "only" is used with "one of," it does mean "few." (I checked Merriam-Webster Online to be sure.) "One of the only" implies more than one (but not many), in contrast to "I am the only one," which, of course, means just what it says. "One of the one" makes no sense.

Carol, who really only intended to say "exactly" but wasn't sure whether "I agree" posts are allowed on OTC!