“Fell off my person” [on hold]
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I wanted to ask if it would be accurate to say that "The phone must have fallen off my person!"
Meaning it fell from a purse or a pocket that I carry with me.
grammaticality
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Mitch, FumbleFingers, choster, jimm101, Hugo 12 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Proofreading questions are off-topic unless a specific source of concern in the text is clearly identified." – Mitch, jimm101, Hugo
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
|
show 1 more comment
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I wanted to ask if it would be accurate to say that "The phone must have fallen off my person!"
Meaning it fell from a purse or a pocket that I carry with me.
grammaticality
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Mitch, FumbleFingers, choster, jimm101, Hugo 12 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Proofreading questions are off-topic unless a specific source of concern in the text is clearly identified." – Mitch, jimm101, Hugo
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
3
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
1
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13
|
show 1 more comment
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I wanted to ask if it would be accurate to say that "The phone must have fallen off my person!"
Meaning it fell from a purse or a pocket that I carry with me.
grammaticality
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I wanted to ask if it would be accurate to say that "The phone must have fallen off my person!"
Meaning it fell from a purse or a pocket that I carry with me.
grammaticality
grammaticality
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
asked Dec 13 at 16:35
Samyukta Ramnath
111
111
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Samyukta Ramnath is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
put on hold as off-topic by Mitch, FumbleFingers, choster, jimm101, Hugo 12 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Proofreading questions are off-topic unless a specific source of concern in the text is clearly identified." – Mitch, jimm101, Hugo
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
put on hold as off-topic by Mitch, FumbleFingers, choster, jimm101, Hugo 12 hours ago
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Proofreading questions are off-topic unless a specific source of concern in the text is clearly identified." – Mitch, jimm101, Hugo
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
3
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
1
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13
|
show 1 more comment
3
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
1
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13
3
3
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
1
1
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13
|
show 1 more comment
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
3
Would it be accurate to say that? Only you would know. Would it be grammatical? Certainly. Would it be good English? Not really; at least it's not the way a native speaker would say that. "I must have dropped my phone somewhere!" is what you're more likely to hear.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:47
What if I want to specifically indicate that it fell off me as I was getting out of a cab or something? Dropped might imply that I was holding the phone.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 16:51
Still, drop is the most likely verb to be used to express the situation. If it bothers you, substitute lost: "I must've lost my phone somewhere!" It is overly specific to explain that you dropped your phone from your "person" ... where else could it have dropped from? If it was in a pocket, say that: "My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!" And so on. Nobody refers to "my person" except in a clinical or legal sense.
– Robusto
Dec 13 at 16:54
1
@Robusto However, perhaps in fairness we should give some indication of circumstances in which it might be used. Something wouldn't fall "OFF her person", but FROM her person". If someone asked me "do you have a mobile phone", I could, if it were the case, say "well I don't have one about my person at this moment". It would be a somewhat pretentious way of saying "I don't have one on me...". (One could use it ironically to achieve emphasis.) But a police officer making a report might say "cocaine was found on the suspect's person". In other words it is generally reserved for formal use.
– WS2
Dec 13 at 17:02
Thanks so much! I realize that the use of 'person' is a bit overly formal for everyday use, and was also wondering whether 'fell off my person' or 'fell from my person' is grammatical.
– Samyukta Ramnath
Dec 13 at 17:13