Teacher Discussion Forums

Hoey has pointed out that "while it is quite usual to speak of my doctor or my accountant, it is not usual to speak of my carpenter or my
bricklayer", but isn't this just because we see the first two more regulary, or we don't change them as often as we would a carpenter, for example?

I would guess the Lord at the manor would say "my carpenter/gardener/etc.".

Also "my solicitor" and "my dentist". Likewise, I wouldn't be surprised for a doctor or dentist to talk about "my patient" or a lawyer "my client", but would a carpenter or bricklayer talk about "my customer"? I doubt it somehow.

I think it's more to do with the fact that by seeing your doctor or accountant regularly, maybe over several years, you feel you've actually built up some kind of professional relationship, which you don't with the bricklayer who you employ to do a one off job. The Lord of the manor might need to employ a builder or gardener regularly enough to establish a professional relationship, hence the use of "my".

I think it's more to do with the fact that by seeing your doctor or accountant regularly, maybe over several years, you feel you've actually built up some kind of professional relationship, which you don't with the bricklayer who you employ to do a one off job. The Lord of the manor might need to employ a builder or gardener regularly enough to establish a professional relationship, hence the use of "my".

Yes, I think that's it.

I agree with lolwhite, but I wonder if the "Lord of the Manor"'s use of the possessive pronoun is a sort of proprietary thing as well. Just another take.

Lotus wrote:I agree with lolwhite, but I wonder if the "Lord of the Manor"'s use of the possessive pronoun is a sort of proprietary thing as well. Just another take.

I have no doubt that proprietary is also involved when some people say my accountant, my doctor, my hairdresser, and so on.

I have no doubt that propriety is also involved when some people say my accountant, my doctor, my hairdresser, and so on.

In a sense, I suppose there could be a degree of propriety involved, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you meant proprietary. In which case, no argument. Proprietorship is assumed in the possessive. But it seems to me that those who own much assume ownership of much. Hence my interpretation, which was offered a bit tongue in cheek, by the way.

When I baulked a couple of weeks ago at paying upfront for window frames, door frames and doors before the work was done my factotum said:
"But your carpenter good no?".

The point is that you have an ongoing relationship with a doctor, lawyer or accountant that you don't have with a mason or carpenter (unless you're taking an inordinately long time to build your house as I am).

Where the ongoing relationship exists then you would talk about my houseboy, my cleaner, my cook, my gardener or whatever.

In a sense, I suppose there could be a degree of propriety involved, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you meant proprietary.

Thank goodness you did so.