"Mutual" means reciprocal. If Mr. Dickens had even the faintest notion as to how to properly use the English language, he would have named the book Our Common Friend or, if that made the friend sound too plebeian, he could have called it simply Our Friend. After all, the use of the possessive "our" already implies commonality of relationship.
Both of those would have missed out on the cruicial point.
*sniffs indignantly*
I am sure you are exaggerating your seriousness for comic effect, but allow me to observe (for the record -- because this is the internet and someone might pick up your objection as fact) that a)languages change, and this expression has been around since... at least the 1600s, b)Dickens did (demonstrably) know how to use the English language, and.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
structured procrastinator
This message last edited by Camilla on 02/11/2011 at 06:39:33 AM
November! Only two months left this year! What are you reading, chaps?
01/11/2011 08:10:09 AM
- 1374 Views
The Charles Dickens biography by Michael Slater
01/11/2011 08:57:58 AM
- 1129 Views
I have a problem with that title - Our Mutual Friend, indeed!
02/11/2011 01:21:39 AM
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And
02/11/2011 06:38:56 AM
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It was for comic effect, and based on my memory of your posting that article.
02/11/2011 04:43:10 PM
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Re: It was for comic effect, and based on my memory of your posting that article.
02/11/2011 05:16:15 PM
- 982 Views
I finished The Secret Pilgrim by Le Carré (the last Smiley novel, if you can call it that)
04/11/2011 08:41:50 PM
- 892 Views
Middlemarch will probably take me a few weeks more. After that, we'll see.
01/11/2011 10:32:21 AM
- 1044 Views
Read Tintentod, now reading Antony and Cleopatra (Goldsworthy, not Shakespeare). *NM*
28/11/2011 09:35:13 PM
- 480 Views
Am falling back on Harry Dresden due to the pressures of studying.
01/11/2011 02:00:49 PM
- 1032 Views
So, books.
01/11/2011 10:08:00 PM
- 976 Views
The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. *NM*
05/11/2011 02:19:39 PM
- 497 Views
THe Great Gatsby. *NM*
28/11/2011 02:26:14 PM
- 440 Views
Allow me to request a review of that one. I've long been thinking I need to read it. *NM*
28/11/2011 09:35:48 PM
- 461 Views
Back to Der Zauberberg. About halfway through now.
02/11/2011 01:17:32 AM
- 989 Views
I don't know how I managed to read about 900 pages of German this month...
26/11/2011 10:33:52 PM
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Re: November! Only two months left this year! What are you reading, chaps?
02/11/2011 08:07:11 PM
- 1209 Views
new Catherine Asaro book!
02/11/2011 08:22:15 PM
- 1020 Views
reading Temeraire
15/11/2011 05:50:45 PM
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"Temeraire" was fun. Started on "Tumbling After" by Paul Witcover. *NM*
16/11/2011 06:32:50 PM
- 424 Views
Read "Broken Time" by Maggy Thomas/Emily Devenport. Really good!
30/11/2011 04:31:41 PM
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Yeesh, November already.
06/11/2011 12:28:51 PM
- 1004 Views
Have you read Old Custer by Eli Cash?
06/11/2011 04:06:33 PM
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Nope.
06/11/2011 04:50:27 PM
- 971 Views
Never mind.
06/11/2011 05:07:30 PM
- 977 Views
Re: November! Only two months left this year! What are you reading, chaps?
28/11/2011 04:16:33 AM
- 1149 Views