Now why does Judith ask THAT question instead of >"Onora knows you?"
Because you were the one who used a first name. Of course you could know her, that is, have met her and also feel able to call her by her first name. But as I suspected, you were simply following your usual rather sexist 'call a woman by her first name' habit, as in 'Hannah' for '(Hannah) Arendt'.
You won't be surprised to know I've met Onora O'Neill and know/have known various people who know her well, but were I writing about her here I would of course say 'Onora O'Neill' (unless in context, O'Neill sufficed), just as I would say "Brian Barry"/Barry. (E.g..)
----- Original Message ----- From: <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Judith Evans" <judith.evans001@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 7:42 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: A gift to the List on this Christmas Day
Now why does Judith ask THAT question instead of "Onora knows you?"Yes, I think I know her quite well though we've never actually met. Manny and I feel we share so much in common with her that I feel comfortable on a first name basis, outside the walls of Cambridge U of course. (Wittgenstein, on theother hand, will always be "Wittgenstein," inside or outside the walls of Cambridge U.) Walter O.
------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html