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Off topic, but:

"You are smarter than me."

"You are smarter than I."

Because generally speaking "I" is a subject and "me" is an object, but then if you add "am" as the final word, the first choice falls apart.

Is it something about the word "than" that makes the next noun a subject instead of an object? I'm a little drunk and not sure what the answer is.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 04:20 (eighteen years ago) link

I love how ILX periodically gets grammar fantods. It's like some kind of natural cycle.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 04:50 (eighteen years ago) link

In "You are smarter than me.", 'You' is the one doing the areing.

If you add 'am', 'I' is the one doing the aming.

― theantmustdance (theantmustdance), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 06:06 (eighteen years ago) link

But then isn't "me" improper because you would not refer to yourself at the end of a sentence without the "am". (Hint, substitute "Elmo" or "Bob Dole" for "me".)

― dave $1.83 (dave225.3), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 11:39 (eighteen years ago) link

But then isn't "me" improper

Technically yes -- there's a good summary of the issue here.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 12:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I love how ILX periodically gets grammar fantods. It's like some kind of natural cycle.

Dan Me OTM.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 12:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Thanks for link, jaymc. I like how the guy uses "than me" as part of a big headline on his homepage with the "than me" linked to that same place.

― In The Court Of The Redd King Harvest (Ken L), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link

I love how ILX periodically gets grammar fantods. It's like some kind of natural cycle.

When you are a mediocre editor (as I undoubtedly am), grammar fantodry is unavoidable.

Thanks for the insight, y'all.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link

three months pass...

"My car is in the shop."

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:42 (seventeen years ago) link

eight years pass...

Lol at this thread

― How I Wrote Matchstick Men (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 7 July 2015 05:29 (eight years ago) link

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