Reflexives in subject position

Wed Feb 16 10:05:44 UTC 2000

I've occasionally heard men in the UK refer to their wives/female partners using a reflexive pronoun as subject as follows: "Herself won't be interested" or "Herself will be staying in tonight". The effect is slightly humorous, and seems to imply that the wife/partner is the dominant member in the relationship.

Mick

Dr Mick Perkins
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Linguistics 
Department of Human Communication Sciences
University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TN
UK

Tel: (+44) (0)114 2222408
Fax: (+44) (0)114 2730547
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/R-Z/spsu/staff/mick.html
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