Monday, 1 October 2012

"'Whom are you?', he asked, for he had been to night school."


An article in the Economist discusses whether the word whom is on the way out and concludes it is not. For reasons of social control. This causes a tinge of guilt.

Do you sometimes use whom in informal conversations? I do fairly often but wonder after reading this if I do so to show off. I sometimes say, 'It is I' but when I do I am not sure if I am joking. Usually, like everyone, I say 'It's me'.

From The Lady in the Lake, my favourite Raymond Chandler novel:

"One moment, please. Whom did you wish to see?"

Degarmo spun on his heel and looked at me wonderingly. '"Did he say 'whom'?"

"Yeah, but don't hit him," I said. "There is such a word."

"I often wondered where they kept it. Look, buddy," he said to the clerk, "we want up to 716. Any objection?"




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