Calling all skinny kettles!
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 17, 2009
I actually agree with this point by David Post, but there is a bit of irony attached — can you spot it?
Nothing makes me happier about Obama’s election than the fact that he has, single-handedly, brought serious oratory, and serious concern for our beloved English language, back into politics, from whence it has been missing for a long, long time.
Ahem. I don’t mean to misunderetimate you, David, but there is no such thing as “from whence.” “Whence” means “from where.”
UPDATE: This post resulted in some discussion at Volokh’s blog — the first time to my knowledge my existence has every been acknowledged by anyone there. And regarding such a profound point! I am glad to have my intellectual power finally getting the recognition it deserves among the legal academic elite.
Oh, and Mrs. C points out that “from whence” is found twice in Macbeth. Once in the very first scene! I guess some Jews hath eyes after all; just not me.
jaymaster said
Feh. I actually disagree with his larger point. But I’ll let him slide on the “from whence” thing.
Yeah, 40 years ago, that would have been wrong. But not so much today, IMO.
It’s like “a myriad” and “data is”. Both were technically wrong not so long ago.
Some retentive types will still wag a finger at a student who utters such a phrase.
But 99.9% of the world won’t raise an eyebrow. Language changes.
Ron Coleman said
The word was misused, and I wouldn’t in a million years mention it except for the subject and the context of the sentence in which it was.
jaymaster said
Sorry. Don’t get me wrong here. What he said WAS ironic, and that’s always worth noting.
Sal said
I don’t agree with his larger point at all. Obama is not well spoken when he is not reading off of a teleprompter, and his oratory prowess is highly overestimated. Reagan was the last great Presidential orator, and before him JFK.