Which is more commonly used in writing? 者 or もん


Which is more commonly used in writing? 者 or もん.

For example:

  1. 笑った者勝ち
  2. 笑ったもん勝ち




In general, もん is highly colloquial, and should be avoided in formal writings.
もん may be fine in casual personal blogs, but it's out of the question in news
articles, Wikipedia articles and such. Even in casual writing, もん sounds a bit
rough, and many people choose to use 人 instead.

However, this ～もん勝ち ("the one who does ～ is the winner") is an exception
because it is an established set phrase. It's fine to say 逃げたもん勝ち ("fleeing is
winning") even in a serious essay. I personally feel もん is more common in this
set phrase, but I may be wrong.

