Watching The Office

During last Thursday’s episode, Money, the whole Office ensemble launched a debate that, to me, showed how effective this group is. It was simply a spontaneously funny moment. Everyone in the room had something to say that wasn’t necessarily the punchline (my favorite was from Kelly —“Ryan used me as an object.”), but it was undoubtedly one of the funniest scenes from the show.

When it all came together, it was perfection. When the whole cast is in one scene together, what do you expect to get? Comedy Gold!

But to address this whole whoever/whomever debate, Literal Minded, picks it out and explains the usage for us, quite technically.

As might have been guessed by my choice of whoever or whomever, the rule in Standard English is that the embedded clause wins. Thus, it doesn’t matter that whoever did this is the direct object of the matrix clause; all that matters is that whoever is the subject of did. It doesn’t matter that whomever Tom invites is the subject of the matrix clause; all that matters is that whomever is the direct object of invites. In some languages, though, sentences like these would be a problem. In German, for instance, you simply can’t use fused relatives unless the who(m)ever equivalent serves the same function in both matrix and embedded clauses, like in the earlier two examples.

And in the process of reading through that, the technical explanation sounded like Creed was right the whole time, when he said, “It’s a made up word used to trick college students!”

Ryan: What I really want honestly, Michael is for you to know it so you can communicate it to the people here, to your clients, to whomever.

Michael: Oh, okay

Ryan: What?

Michael: It’s whoever, not whomever.

Ryan: No, it’s whomever

Michael: No…whomever is never actually right.

Jim: Well, sometimes it’s right.

Creed: Michael is right. It’s a made-up word used to trick students.

Andy: No. Actually, whomever is the formal version of the word.

Oscar: Obviously, it’s a real word, but I don’t know when to use it correctly.

Michael (talking to the camera): Not a native speaker.

Kevin: I know what’s right, but I’m not gonna say because you’re all jerks who didn’t come see my band last night.

Ryan: Do you really know which one is correct?

Kevin: I don’t know.

Pam: It’s whom when it’s the object of the sentence and who when it’s the subject.

Phyllis: That sounds right.

Michael: Well, it sounds right, but is it?

Stanley: How did Ryan use it, as an object?

Ryan: As an object.

Kelly: Ryan used me as an object.

Stanley: Is he right about that?

Pam: How did he use it again?

Toby: It was…Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to, uh explain the computer system, the subject–

Michael: Yes!

Toby: –to whomever, meaning us, the indirect object…which is the correct usage of the word.

Michael: No one asked you anything, ever, so whomever’s name is Toby, why don’t you take a letter opener and stick it into your skull?

Here’s the actual video:

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