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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 5 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 Re: Double genitive Tromboniator #221741 07/31/15 03:45 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 3,018 E endymion6 Carpal Tunnel endymion6 Carpal Tunnel E Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 3,018 Hi ..when I saw the ref. to Gen. in the summary/contents page just now, I clicked and read the several most recent entries above ..Hope you won't mind my intruding to ask whether you've ever looked at something that makes me cringe whenever (increasingly frequently) I see it in print (usu. NYT) .to me, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard ..i.e., the use of the term .. He (or she) is friends with ...Over the years, I'd written to Bill Safire, RIP, and various others at NYT to ask how agreement of subj./noun-pronoun number gets overlooked by alleged professionals; I've asked if they'd say 'he was enemies with..' I hope this doesn't convey the impression I have little on my mind (if only because the truth hurts!) ..Thanks! joe (sorry to intrude) Last edited by endymion6; 07/31/15 03:46 PM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: To be friends with endymion6 #221749 08/01/15 02:46 AM Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,255 Likes: 7 London, UK A A C Bowden Pooh-Bah A C Bowden Pooh-Bah A Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,255 Likes: 7 London, UK I think "be friends with" is so common as to count as an established idiom. My guess is that it originated as children's usage. It is possible that young children heard such expressions as "let's be friends" and subconsciously interpreted "friends" as a (predicative) adjective, which could be used with a singular subject also. The usage could then have gradually spread to older age groups. But to my ear it still sounds vaguely "juvenile", despite its common use by adults. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: To be friends with A C Bowden #221750 08/01/15 02:46 PM Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 3,018 E endymion6 Carpal Tunnel endymion6 Carpal Tunnel E Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 3,018 thank you... i agree, and really don't object to its use colloquially, as is true when i hear (and say myself) he/she is a friend of mine, as well as other similar expressions. but it nonetheless rankles me when it's in print in articles written for major newspapers & magazines. thanks again .. happy summer! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Page 5 of 5 1 2 3 4 5 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,913 Posts229,610 Members9,187 Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011 Newest Members Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo 9,187 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 133 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 29 A C Bowden 16 LukeJavan8 3 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 10,731 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,933 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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