Which of the followings sound right?

[learningchayse]

I want to say "I've forgotten the story mostly".

1. Which of the followings sound right?
A. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
B. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
C. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
C. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.

2. Does "slip out of my mind" work as well? (an expression learned/stole from rdearman's language log)
Any differences between "fade into oblivion" and "slip out of my mind" in this case?

CORRECTION: My bad. What he said is "a word slips my mind" not " slip out of my mind".

3. What would you say in this case?

Thank you!

[Philipp]

I'm not a native speaker, but I give it a try.

1) In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion from my memory.

"Majority of" is too precise. It means more than 50% of something. But how can you know that you have forgotten more than half of the story if you don't remember the story clearly? Remembering a story is not easily quantifiable. "Majority of" works better for things you can count like people, votes, words.
Your memory is part of your mind, but in this case, you are talking about things you remember, i.e. memory. The mind is a broader term. It's more about how you perceive the world in general and less about how you remember specific things, though these concepts are obviously connected.

2) Oblivion means something is forgotten not only by a single person but everyone. So the phrase „fade into oblivion“ makes more sense if something or someone vanishes from the collective memory of people. "Slip out of my mind" just means one person has forgotten something.

3) This is not very poetic, but I would say "I barely remember the story".

[StringerBell]

I want to say "I've forgotten the story mostly".

1. Which of the followings sound right?
A. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
B. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
C. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
C. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.

"Faded into oblivion" means that the information has been irretrievably lost - it's gone forever, never to return. Assuming that you want to make a statement that is this strong, any of these options are technically correctly.

most of > this feels more colloquial. This is what people are more likely to use when speaking.

the majority of > means the same thing, but is a little more formal. I would expect to see this more often in published writing like articles or papers, or when someone who is a little more educated is speaking. (For example, I often say things like "the vast majority of..." while my English-speaking relatives who don't read and mostly just watch sports on TV all day would never speak like this, and I'd only expect to hear them say "most of..." There is nothing wrong with "most of...", and I say it plenty of times, myself. I just want to highlight the different feel those two options have, even though they mean the same thing.

While technically you can use any of these options, something about them feels a little off (not quite right). I think it's because "oblivion" feels like overkill (too much information). It sounds more natural to me to leave that word out. For example:

A. In fact, most of the story has faded from my mind.
B. In fact, the majority of the story has faded from my mind.
C. In fact, most of the story has faded from my memory.
D. In fact, the majority of the story has faded from my memory.
C. In fact, most part of the story has faded from my memory.
D. In fact, most part of the story has faded from my mind.

*Out of these, I'd probably choose (A).

2. Does "slip out of my mind" work as well?

Rdearman is British, and I'm American, which means that he sometimes says English things in a weird way Seriously, though, there are slightly differences between British and American English, and it's possible this is one of them. In American English, I'd expect to hear: "It slipped my mind." We use this expression a lot when the item or information forgotten wasn't really important or the information was forgotten only temporarily. Examples:

I was at the store buying chicken and it totally slipped my mind that I needed eggs.

I was supposed to pay my rent this morning, but it slipped my mind.

[Iversen]

When something fades fades into oblivion it is still stored somewhere in my mind, though only as a faint afterglow. The one place I wouldn't look for it would would be in my memory.

As for the word 'majority' I'm aware that it can be used to indicate the largest share of anything, but I personally prefer to use it about parts of groups consisting of countable entities - and a story is just one single entity so here it wouldn't make sense to use it. But of course native speakers can do whatever they want..

As for "most part of" it's more clumsy than just "most of" so I would prefer the latter.

The expression "slip out of one's mind" doesn't say anything about the reason it happened - you just discover by accident that you have forgotten something. However to let something fade into oblivion takes a long time (filled with the utmost degree of passivity). So the two expressions don't mean the same thing.

[learningchayse]

I'm not a native speaker, but I give it a try.

1) In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion from my memory.

"Majority of" is too precise. It means more than 50% of something. But how can you know that you have forgotten more than half of the story if you don't remember the story clearly? Remembering a story is not easily quantifiable. "Majority of" works better for things you can count like people, votes, words.
Your memory is part of your mind, but in this case, you are talking about things you remember, i.e. memory. The mind is a broader term. It's more about how you perceive the world in general and less about how you remember specific things, though these concepts are obviously connected.

2) Oblivion means something is forgotten not only by a single person but everyone. So the phrase „fade into oblivion“ makes more sense if something or someone vanishes from the collective memory of people. "Slip out of my mind" just means one person has forgotten something.

3) This is not very poetic, but I would say "I barely remember the story".

Oh. Thank you. That is so helpful!
I guess I can not say "fade into oblivion" in that case because it is just my personal experience.

[learningchayse]

I want to say "I've forgotten the story mostly".

1. Which of the followings sound right?
A. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
B. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.
C. In fact, most of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, the majority of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
C. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my memory.
D. In fact, most part of the story has faded into oblivion in my mind.

"Faded into oblivion" means that the information has been irretrievably lost - it's gone forever, never to return. Assuming that you want to make a statement that is this strong, any of these options are technically correctly.

most of > this feels more colloquial. This is what people are more likely to use when speaking.

the majority of > means the same thing, but is a little more formal. I would expect to see this more often in published writing like articles or papers, or when someone who is a little more educated is speaking. (For example, I often say things like "the vast majority of..." while my English-speaking relatives who don't read and mostly just watch sports on TV all day would never speak like this, and I'd only expect to hear them say "most of..." There is nothing wrong with "most of...", and I say it plenty of times, myself. I just want to highlight the different feel those two options have, even though they mean the same thing.

While technically you can use any of these options, something about them feels a little off (not quite right). I think it's because "oblivion" feels like overkill (too much information). It sounds more natural to me to leave that word out. For example:

A. In fact, most of the story has faded from my mind.
B. In fact, the majority of the story has faded from my mind.
C. In fact, most of the story has faded from my memory.
D. In fact, the majority of the story has faded from my memory.
C. In fact, most part of the story has faded from my memory.
D. In fact, most part of the story has faded from my mind.

*Out of these, I'd probably choose (A).

2. Does "slip out of my mind" work as well?

Rdearman is British, and I'm American, which means that he sometimes says English things in a weird way Seriously, though, there are slightly differences between British and American English, and it's possible this is one of them. In American English, I'd expect to hear: "It slipped my mind." We use this expression a lot when the item or information forgotten wasn't really important or the information was forgotten only temporarily. Examples:

I was at the store buying chicken and it totally slipped my mind that I needed eggs.

I was supposed to pay my rent this morning, but it slipped my mind.

I've learned a lot from your detailed explanation! I really appreciate it!
And I own Rdearman an apology because what he used was exactly "slip my mind". I made a stupid mistake.
So in this case, I guess "slip my mind" seems a little too casual for a story.

[learningchayse]

When something fades fades into oblivion it is still stored somewhere in my mind, though only as a faint afterglow. The one place I wouldn't look for it would would be in my memory.

The expression "slip out of one's mind" doesn't say anything about the reason it happened - you just discover by accident that you have forgotten something. However to let something fade into oblivion takes a long time (filled with the utmost degree of passivity). So the two expressions don't mean the same thing.

So what can fade into oblivion? Like a childhood idol?
What I meant by "story" is actually a TV series that I watched 2 years ago and I vaguely remember now. Can it fade into oblivion?

As for the word 'majority' I'm aware that it can be used to indicate the largest share of anything, but I personally prefer to use it about parts of groups consisting of countable entities - and a story is just one single entity so here it wouldn't make sense to use it. But of course native speakers can do whatever they want..

It makes more sense to me now.
Thank you so much!

[Iversen]

So what can fade into oblivion? Like a childhood idol?
What I meant by "story" is actually a TV series that I watched 2 years ago and I vaguely remember now. Can it fade into oblivion?

The important word here is "fade". "Oblivion" is just a black hole somewhere in your mind into which things disappear - mostly forever, although sometimes a memory can be reawoken by some kind of external stimulus. However when you use the word "fade" you say that there is a lengthy process which has been carrying your memories down into that black whole - and by implication most of what you once knew about a subject already has disappeared.

So if you vaguely remember that you once saw a certain TV series, and that it had something to do with aliens from space or sibling rivalry or life on a farm somewhere, but not who played the characters or their names or what the whole thing ended with, then the use of the expression "fade into oblivion" is amply justified.

[learningchayse]

I searched "into oblivion" in Corpus of Contemporary American English, and moved some examples here.

...If you miss the target, you'll drift off into oblivion
...he distant music of sirens droops further and further into oblivion
...and the war sinks into oblivion.
...and possibilities tumble into oblivion.
...drinking myself into oblivion
...human or fire hydrant we've ever loved is about to vaporize into oblivion.
...grinding my voice into oblivion singing Tom Petty and everything
...The argument faded into oblivion.
...but that everything else in her life would disappear into oblivion, even her death?
...the trip is brutal. Six grueling hours on a dodgy boat speeding into oblivion
...The buildings on shore have faded into oblivion.

This phrase is still pretty confusing to me even with this many examples.
Whatever, I'll just keep the notes here.

[learningchayse]

So what can fade into oblivion? Like a childhood idol?
What I meant by "story" is actually a TV series that I watched 2 years ago and I vaguely remember now. Can it fade into oblivion?

The important word here is "fade". "Oblivion" is just a black hole somewhere in your mind into which things disappear - mostly forever, although sometimes a memory can be reawoken by some kind of external stimulus. However when you use the word "fade" you say that there is a lengthy process which has been carrying your memories down into that black whole - and by implication most of what you once knew about a subject already has disappeared.

So if you vaguely remember that you once saw a certain TV series, and that it had something to do with aliens from space or sibling rivalry or life on a farm somewhere, but not who played the characters or their names or what the whole thing ended with, then the use of the expression "fade into oblivion" is amply justified.

Thank you so much! Now I kinda understand it better.
Your way of explaining language feels so right to me as I am probably a visual learner and I tend to understand words with images. I don't know the equivalent of "into oblivion" is in my mother tongue. My mind just got stuck when searching for words.