OK....... FINAL ANSWER!!!!!!  What could be more authoritative than Brent
Tarter AND "Fowler's Modern English Usage!"  I am prepared to initiate
ending my snail-mail letters, subject of course to Fowler, with "Your
Obedient Servant", firm in the knowledge that I shall not be regarded a
complete twit.  (Well, I may already be regarded that, but Yr Ob Sv will
change nothing.)

Many thanks to everybody for answers.  I knew that I could always rely on
VA-HIST for Va-History.

Randy Cabell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Deal" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2001 9:19 AM
Subject: Re: Your obedient servant......


> Following up on Brent Tarter's message: there is a brief treatment of
> "letter forms" in Fowler's Modern English Usage (1944 edition), which
> notes three contexts in which "your obedient servant" might [still] be
> used: in letters "from or to officials"; in "letters to the Editor in
> newspapers"; and in letters from "servant to master &c."
>
> The newest (Burchfield, 3rd) edition of Fowler, though a fine reference,
> has no additional commentary on this phrase.
>
> Douglas Deal
> Professor of History and Director of General Education
> State University of New York at Oswego
> Oswego, NY 13126
> [log in to unmask]
> (315)-312-5631 (voice mail)
> (315)-312-3577 (FAX)
>
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