fly plaid?

[Pleater]

I think it is to differentiate the use of the word.
Common can be derogatory so possibly the use of commonest is to move the meaning towards frequent - as in 'the commonest description was his behaving like a common little oik'.

Anne the Pleater

[Tarheel]

I think it is to differentiate the use of the word.
Common can be derogatory so possibly the use of commonest is to move the meaning towards frequent - as in 'the commonest description was his behaving like a common little oik'.

Anne the Pleater

How true and bravo Anne for the perspective.