"More Talented than Me"
Several people have objected to the phrase "more talented than me"
(instead of "than I") on my home page, an easy target
because of my literary and grammatical pages. But I defend it as a legitimate
and well-attested colloquialism; see, for instance, George O. Curme's
Principles and Practice of English Grammar (New York: Harper &
Row, 1947), section 89.A:
CONJUNCTIONS IN CLAUSES OF EXCEPTION. In clauses of exception: but
or more commonly but that; except that, except for the
fact that, or, after a negative proposition or a question, often also
beyond that; save that, saving that; only
that; in elliptical clauses the simple forms but,
except, save, also than after a comparative.
In elliptical clauses where there is no finite verb, it is common to
employ here an accusative instead of a nominative in the subject relation,
as so often elsewhere the accusative is frequently used instead of the
nominative: Nobody was there but me, instead of but [that] I
[was there]. He is taller than me (section 87.A.2). This
usage has become accepted for the reason that but, save,
except, and in colloquial speech, than are considered
prepositions here.
The usage is well attested; I introduce as evidence exhibits A through E:
- Matthew Prior, Better Answer: "For thou art a girl as much
brighter than her,/ As he was a poet sublimer than me."
- Samuel Richardson's Clarissa, I. x. 58, "I am fitter for this
world than you, you for the next than me."
- Lord Byron's letter of 2 November 1804, "Lord Delawarr is considerably
younger than me."
- Robert Southey, Well of St. Keyne, 51: "She had been wiser than
me,/ For she took a bottle to Church."
- William Faulkner's Reivers, IV, 82: "Let Lucius get out... He's
younger than me and stouter too for his size."
Than whom provides a neat parallel for the use of the objective
case after than -- not than who (the OED calls it
"universally accepted instead of than who").
-- A fellow dues-paying member of the Nitpicking Pedants' Union,
Jack