Can one use the phrase "our own" while describing a person or a place. For example:
Our own Charles Dickens has written novels on industrial revolution.
Or
Our own Mr. Gandhi is a symbol of non violence.
Or
Our own Bombay is a crowded city.
asked Nov 1, 2018 at 13:12
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
Yes you can. Just note that it makes it sound as if the person in question is familiar to you or in the same group as you.
Edit
Also, in my opinion, it sounds slightly formal as if they are familiar as an associate rather than as a close friend.
Example
Speaking to a club: "Our own John Doe has achieved x and y. applause"
-
2Good answer. In addition to familiarity, the phrase could be used when the speaker and the person being described belong to the same group to which the listener does not belong. For example, someone from Europe could be speaking with someone in South Asia about nonviolence, and the person from South Asia could say, "Our own Mr. Gandhi is a symbol of nonviolence." This would not imply that the speaker personally knows Mahatma Gandhi.– TashusNov 1, 2018 at 13:56
-
-
3@Tashus I think that "our own..." can also include the listener(s) as members of the same in-group as the person being spoken of, perhaps reminding everyone that he/she is one of us. Nov 1, 2018 at 14:50
-
@squidlydeux Yes, that is a great point. "Our" can include the listener. I should say that the person described and the speaker belong to some in-group with respect to some others who do not belong to the in-group, which may be the listener or a third party who may or may not be present.– TashusNov 1, 2018 at 14:54