Reflexives in subject position

Wed Feb 16 16:25:51 UTC 2000

You remind me that in the UK "themselves" is the preferred term for
referring to little people (elves and fairies)...I imagine the term can be
used in subject position...and I wonder if it has anything to do with the
humor in referring to ones wife that way...

Dianne

On Wed, 16 Feb 2000, Mick Perkins wrote:

> 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
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> Dr Mick Perkins
> Senior Lecturer in Clinical Linguistics
> Department of Human Communication Sciences
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