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) > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html