Best stay close = You'd better/best stay close?

Question

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is full of "Best do smth." phrases:

They're goblins. Clever as they come, but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stay close.
Best not to mention this to anyone, Harry.
Best do it a bit of a run if you're nervous.

What are these phrases from a grammatical standpoint? Could it be a shortened variant of "You'd best" or the Imperative Mood?
Is "Best do smth." used in modern everyday speech?

Possible duplicate of Meaning of the phrase "Four pounds if he's an ounce". And answered at “Good to hear” vs “Glad to hear”. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 05 '17 at 23:32
I think most of the "best do smth." quotes are spoken by Hagrid, and 'e be a bit of a country boy what don't speak Standard English — BoldBen, Mar 06 '17 at 11:20
To answer your last question, it is still in everyday use, but at least in the US, that use is localized. — fixer1234, Mar 06 '17 at 18:25

marcellothearcane · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-06T10:49:08.360

1

This is called ellipsis, and it's commonly used in speech to miss out words. If it were written, the writer may put 'It would be best if you stayed close', but that is long-winded, and it is easier (especially in tense situations, where this would apply) to say 'best stay close.'

edited Mar 06 '17 at 10:49

answered Mar 05 '17 at 22:40

marcellothearcane

7,841

Thank you for a clear answer. This option hasn't occurred to me at all... In this case could the sentence ''It would be best if you stayed close'' be the subjunctive mood? – Hedgehog Mar 06 '17 at 10:31
@Hedgehog yes, I think so (not 100% sure) – marcellothearcane Mar 06 '17 at 10:45

Best stay close = You'd better/best stay close?

1 Answers1