October 19, 2007
1:58 PM:
whomever's name is Toby
Toby has always been my favorite character from The Office, and last night he proved himself to me in the whoever/whomever exchange.
Michael (to Ryan): It’s whoever, not whomever.
Ryan: No, it’s whomever.
Michael: No, whomever is never actually right.
Jim: Sometimes it’s right.
Creed: Michael is right. It’s a made-up word used to trick students.
Andy: 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: 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 to see my band last night.
Michael: 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 is the subject.
Phyllis: That sounds right.
Michael: Well, it sounds right, but is it?
Stanley: How did Ryan use it? As an object?
Ryan: I used it as an object.
Kelly: Ryan used me as an object.
Pam: How did he use it again?
Toby: Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to explain the computer system, the object, to whomever, meaning us, the indirect object, which is the correct usage of the word.
Michael: No one asks you anything ever, so whomever’s name is Toby, why don’t you take a letter opener and stick it in your skull.
Michael (to Ryan): It’s whoever, not whomever.
Ryan: No, it’s whomever.
Michael: No, whomever is never actually right.
Jim: Sometimes it’s right.
Creed: Michael is right. It’s a made-up word used to trick students.
Andy: 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: 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 to see my band last night.
Michael: 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 is the subject.
Phyllis: That sounds right.
Michael: Well, it sounds right, but is it?
Stanley: How did Ryan use it? As an object?
Ryan: I used it as an object.
Kelly: Ryan used me as an object.
Pam: How did he use it again?
Toby: Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to explain the computer system, the object, to whomever, meaning us, the indirect object, which is the correct usage of the word.
Michael: No one asks you anything ever, so whomever’s name is Toby, why don’t you take a letter opener and stick it in your skull.
This is amazing. Thank you for immortalizing this exchange forever. It was the highlight of the show for me :)
I LOVED that part too. I really liked Kevin's take on it. LOL :)
I miss ya! How have you been?
Patty
what episode was that