Who spooks whom

[rafaelgan]

I am not sure about the meaning.

By the way, if I use who spooks whom, can I say who talk whom, who play whom? I mean just changing the verb, and using the same phrase? I am not trying to make a phrase with the same meaning.

 

[Toadie]

I see no problem with saying that, but you have to conjugate your verbs correctly, and you don't "talk someone", you "talk to someone", and you play with someone. Also, the word "whom" isn't used very often anymore.

 

[Thomas Tompion]

I am not sure about the meaning.

By the way, if I use who spooks whom, can I say who talk whom, who play whom? I mean just changing the verb, and using the same phrase? I am not trying to make a phrase with the same meaning.

Toadie is right, rafael. You've chosen two verbs which take indirect objects. Had you taken verbs like hit and like, which take direct objects, you would have been fine:

Who hits whom?
Who likes whom?

 

[la reine victoria]

I am not sure about the meaning.

By the way, if I use who spooks whom, can I say who talk whom, who play whom? I mean just changing the verb, and using the same phrase? I am not trying to make a phrase with the same meaning.

Hi Rafaelgan,

To spook someone is to frighten them. "Who spooks whom?" means "who is frightening someone?"

You can only say, "Who talks to whom?", "Who plays with whom?".

"Whom is the accusative case of "who". It is frequently neglected in BE and people are inclined to say, "Who talks to who?" etc.

LRV

 

[Toadie]

In fact, if it is neglected in BE, it is totally non-existent in AE. It's used more often in BE than in AE. Nowadays, you will usually only see "whom" in older texts or videos.