h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No no no - IMHO those "ones" are all worng as they are about you alone...however I've now twisted myself up completely and don't really know what I think on this any more

yeah...but more often than not we refer to ourselves in the third person plural, but then when one has spent all of one's life in West Virginia USA, one is inclined to speak using what ever little quirks he or she wants to...therefore...when we are not plural, we are one.

P.S. We happen to be sixteen years of age.

Surely you mean 'first person plural' when talking about yourselves. Third person plural is 'they'; 'we' is first person plural. (Good Lord! A grammatically correct sentence containing 'we is'!)

LOL (We _are_ amused)

Actually I think she meant third person singular - she/he/it

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Hush, dear. One must not let the side down in front of the peasants.

I use "one" occasionally. I am well under 50, and American to boot! I don't use it when I simply mean "I." I use "I" for that. I use it when I am implying that the opinion being expressed represents more than just me. I suppose I also use it when I'm being kind of snide or sarcastic. In any case, I do use it fairly frequently.

yeah, it may be firsat plural, not third plural...we are not quite sure of that, but en español, it is nosotras.

I use it when I am sending people up. Or if someone is sending up the fact that I have some remains of a Surrey accent.

Yes I've used it on this here site. One just couldn't help it. I don't normally do this sort of thing you know. I don't know what came over me. I'll try not to do it again.

Personally I only tend to use "one" when being condescending. For some reason it's so much more satisfying.

The German language however, don't even get me started: everyone uses the german equivilant of one ("man") but then German is full of nuances and quirks like that.

Stay Beautiful

Laura

Same goes for French - where the word "on" meaning "one, 3rd person singular" is used ubiquitously to represent we, they, I,..and also in place of the English passive voice.

I knew my 9 year old daughter was getting the hang of the language when she asked recently "On peut regarder le tele?" literally "could one watch TV", but meaning "can we turn the box on?"

I never use 'one' to mean myself. But I would occasionally use it to describe a hypothetical situation, making an indirect suggestion - 'one could do so & so' (either you or I or anyone could) to be slightly less direct than 'you could do so & so' (I suggest YOU do it).

In terms of language...has it not become a recent *thing* to mix slang terms with elaborate language? My writing style is a mix between pre to mid '60s and modern day...as I believe a lot of my generation is (me being 18)...so I occasionally use *one*...but only really ironically. I wouldn't notice it if someone did use it, because extensive vocabulary doesn't indicate any kind of status anymore...just average education and moderate working intellgence.

I like the German use of Mann... it depersonalises some things that could be taken as a recommendation to do something that wasn't intended as such, or as a generalisation.

I don't use "one" like that when speaking English, because I have what is described by lots of people as a "posh" accent (it isn't) and they don't take me seriously if I use "one".

I like the German language full stop. T'is crazy-fun!