second vs secondary

Loner, the meaning slightly diff, "secondary" implying the quality of some action or habit which both have undergone whereas "second" is noncommittal in that respect

At the finish line mom was second
In terms of their ability to control temper, secondary

As far as "correct" is concerned, help Neo, Set, Man, Oss, Rog

Edited to beg forgiveness; it s/b "Setanta"

thank you dale

Quite welcome Loner but hope we hear from some of the others more nearly expert

yeah, the second sounds right to me in the first pair, and the first in the second. i just wanna know why they sound right, if they are, in fact, correct.

yeah, the second sounds right to me in the first pair, and the first in the second. i just wanna know why they sound right, if they are, in fact, correct

my mom was second to my dad
my mom was secondary to my dad

my mom came second to my dad.
my mom came secondary to my dad

I think the choice somehow lies in the diff of meaning between "was" and "came". In the first "was" somehow suggests a ranking, where "secondary" fits best. But in the second I'd guess "came" implies a footrace between the two, thus came (in) second

yeah, i still don't really know. sometimes, i think i'm saying something right and i discover it's wrong down the road.

i don't know if either can be considered wrong now that i think about it.

in the first pair, using 'second' seems more definite than 'secondary,' maybe?

Yea Loner me too