[Ads-l] inanimate "who"

[Charles C Doyle]

Well, if a corporation can be a (singular) person . . . .
________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2022 10:22 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: inanimate "who"

[EXTERNAL SENDER - PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY]


Relatively new to me.  TV ad for Aspen Dental:

"We're a different kind of dentistry. One who believes in doing anything it
takes to make dentistry work for your life!"

The "we" and "believe in" obviously influence, but c'mon! In that case it
should be "people," not "one."

Meanwhile, "who" for persons now seems less common than "that."

JL
--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org