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Pedants' corner

Somebody, someone, anybody, anyone

11 replies

calsworld · 21/05/2008 21:52

When is it 'body' and when is it 'one'?

No particular reason - just don't like not knowing the answer.

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calsworld · 21/05/2008 21:52

Not forgetting of course, nobody and no-one...

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JackieNo · 21/05/2008 21:53

I don't think there is a rule, is there? I don't know of one. I'd have said they were interchangeable.

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calsworld · 21/05/2008 22:03

Not got something to do with the degree of familarity with the body or one? Or the number of people included in the body or one?

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nobodysfool · 21/05/2008 22:05

should i be no ones fool then?

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JackieNo · 21/05/2008 22:06

This says they're interchangeable, but to 'let your ear be your guide' as to what sounds best for a particular circumstance.

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JackieNo · 21/05/2008 22:11

Very technical - lost me by about the third paragraph. The conclusion is that:

"it is evident that ?somebody? is more often found in highly transitive clauses involving physical action than is ?someone.? This is possibly due to the ?body? / ?one? division, with ?body? lending itself to physical actions more easily than the more existential ?one?. "

So there you go

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asicsgirl · 22/05/2008 08:29

i've been letting my ear be my guide. but i keep walking into things

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UnquietDad · 23/05/2008 09:41

And don't forget that Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits once had his name announced at an airport thus: "Would Mr No-one please come to the information desk?..."

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asicsgirl · 23/05/2008 13:20

is that a henry rollins observation UQD? he has a whole routine about airport announcements

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UnquietDad · 23/05/2008 15:47

Not sure - I think I heard it on Ken Bruce!

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Bucharest · 24/05/2008 17:11

tefl teachers tell their students they are synonyms

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