# Last word on ending a sentence with a preopsition by Morris Bishop **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900 "2009-12-03T21:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/1 "2009-12-03T21:33:26Z")
I searched for threads on this subject and there were too many to sort through finding out if this had been posted before. I just came across this gem by Morris Bishop, and for those unfamiliar with it, here it is for your enjoyment: I lost a naughty preposition, He lived, I think, beneath my chair. I cried aloud to him, Perdition! Come on up out from down under there." Now, language is my _vade mecum_, And straggling phrases I abhor, And yet I wonder, what should he come On up out from down under for? ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/2 "2009-12-04T05:34:46Z")
Oooh, did you hear that thud? That was Mrs. Brand stroking out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/3 "2009-12-05T05:02:32Z")
> [@Over Under Sideways Down!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-under-sideways-down/455865/18): > > You will get your explanation of what you brought that book I don’t like to be read to out of about Down Under up for over with _when?_ > (cribbed from **Malacandra** via **rowrrbazzle** ) Heh heh heh. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/4 "2009-12-07T19:58:43Z")
It’s a nice line, but are all those words being used as prepositions? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/5 "2009-12-07T20:38:08Z")
What’s a preopsition? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/6 "2009-12-07T20:42:51Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > What’s a preopsition? > 😃 Not sure about preopsition, but a preposition is a word you shouldn’t end a sentence with. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/7 "2009-12-07T22:01:27Z")
Everyone has probably heard this one, but what the hell, it’s fun. A country boy applies to Harvard and gets in. On his first day there, he gets disoriented and asks a student, “Excuse me, could you tell me where the library’s at?” The student gets rather huffy and condescendingly says, “Sir, here at Harvard we do not end a sentence with a preposition!” So the country boy responds, “Oh, I’m so sorry! Where’s the library at, asshole?” ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/8 "2009-12-07T22:33:39Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Not sure about preopsition, but a preposition is a word you shouldn’t end a sentence with. And something up with which I will not put. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/9 "2009-12-08T00:00:41Z")
In our childhood my brother was quite the grammar Nazi. Once, at dinner he asked for “a fork to eat his crab with”. I asked him what “crab with” was. To this day he has never lived this down. It even came up during at the last Thanksgiving get together. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-word-on-ending-a-sentence-with-a-preopsition-by-morris-bishop/519900/10 "2009-12-08T00:05:26Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > “Oh, I’m so sorry! Where’s the library at, asshole?” I laughed.