Monday 1 October 2012

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

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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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