Lately, even the elegant slaughter the language
With my own failing hearing, in the past few days I have heard two elegant young women, whose political positions please me, join the murderers of the pronouns.
On a TV program, Cindy McCain clearly said, “for John and I.” Hours later on public radio, Tony Blair’s Cherie said, “between Laura and I.”
Both are too immaculately top-drawer for my usual indictment that such slaughter always betrays an attempt of climbers to sound knowing and refined.
Combined with my failure to get the weather people to say “short-lyved,” there is no choice but to give up. Our world really is as bad off as those depressing reports keep saying.
Maxine Garner
Liberty
Comments (4)
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"Both are too immaculately top-drawer for my usual indictment that such slaughter always betrays an attempt of climbers to sound knowing and refined."
Those damned climbers shouldn't pretend!
Posted on November 1, 2008 9:22 AM
Ms. Garner, I also cringe when I hear people use "[preposition] you and I," but it is hardly the disaster that you believe. What's "correct" and "incorrect" in language changes naturally. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal and social taste.
The use of the wrong case of the pronoun isn't worth the indignation with which you are investing it. Put the indignation into something more important than poor grammar.
Posted on November 1, 2008 9:59 AM
bead: unless you can present an idea in a coherent manner you run the risk of being considered a fool among people who put more effort into a presentation. For erudition, I begin the line with grammar. If you run on a platform with a ship of fools who would consider making English the official language, for pissakes learn the GDMF language. You're right. It's hardly a disaster..unless the pedants who are slaughtering the language are having their voices amplified.
Posted on November 1, 2008 7:37 PM
Maxine Garner said: "Combined with my failure to get the weather people to say 'short-lyved' . . . .”
I'd be happy if the news/weather people knew the correct (or at least locally predominant) pronunciation of various towns and communities in their listening/viewing areas.
I imagine quite a few news/weather people go to bed each night grateful that no major news/weather event occurred in Altamahaw-Ossipee.
Posted on November 1, 2008 8:59 PM