Lederer on Language: For Union-Tribune readers, grammar and books matter 8/30/25

DEAR RICHARD: I am curious about an advertisement on TV that proclaims, “Only pay for what you need” Is that correct, or should it say, “Pay for only what you need.” -Mary Jane Mott, San Carlos

The commercial you identify is for Liberty Mutual Insurance and it is aired so frequently and ubiquitously that, to me, it is like water torture.

The placement of “only” is one of the trickiest procedures in English usage. The most famous example of its vagaries is the song title “I Only Have Eyes for You.” Formalists arguethat the “only” is mislocated in this title and that the statement misleadingly implies “I have eyes — but no ears, noses, or mouths — for you,” rather than “I have eyes for you only.” They insist that “only” — like “hardly,” “nearly,” “almost,” “scarcely,” “even,” and “just” — must appear right before the word modified, as in “I Have Eyes for Only You.”

In reality, no intelligent listener or reader misinterprets the song line “I only have eyes for you.” In general, though, when equally natural placements of “only” are available, you shouldlocate the adjective or adverb immediately before the noun or verb it modifies. For example, after hearing or reading the sentence “He only died yesterday” you might well ask, “Only died? What could be worse?” Repositioning the “only” to read “He died only yesterday” makes life easier for your listeners and readers.

Take my word for it: God only knows. Oops, I mean, “Only God knows.”

DEAR RICHARD: When I was a boy growing up, I would ask a question such as “Where’s the butter at?” My mother would say, “It’s behind the ‘at.’” To this day I still remember hercorrecting me. Is it improper to use “at” to end a question? –William E. Lynn, Scripps Ranch

Your mother probably wagged her finger at “Where’s the butter at?” because the sentence ends with a preposition, but that is a totally bogus rule. The greatest writers in English havefreely employed terminal prepositions. Why? Because the construction is a natural and graceful part of our English idiom. Here are examples from the masters:

 We are such stuff/As dreams are made on. — William Shakespeare Houses are built to live in, not to look on. — Francis Bacon What a fine conformity would it starch us all into. — John Milton Soil good to be born on, good to live on, good to die for, and good to be buried in —James Russell Lowell All words are pegs to hang ideas on. — Henry Ward Beecher

Still, I would caution you about “Where’s the butter at?” because the word “at” is gratuitous. “Where’s the butter?” will do just fine.

This past Saturday, I had a terrific time at the San Diego Book Festival, sponsored by KPBS and held at USD.

KPBS’s Heather Milne reports, “We are very proud of the community experience we created at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival. An estimated 8,000 people attended the event,and more than 1,800 listened to headlining authors and panel discussions with authors from genres stretching from romance to science fiction and everything in between.”

At my author’s table in the Writers’ Block (a punderful title!), I was glued to my chair for four hours because so many of you U-T readers and KPBS listeners showed up to chat and have me sign and inscribe my books for them. Thank you all for lifting me to paradise.

DEAR RICHARD: I enjoyed your recent profile of a book lover. One aspect you did not mention is the shelf of books you’ve bought but haven’t read yet. I try hard to burn it down faster than it builds up, but I’m rarely successful. I turned 45 last year, and my midlife crisis came from the realization that there are likely books on that shelf that I will never have read when I die. And even if I do read all these books, there are still many others that I’d like to read that I won’t. This, more than anything else, has made me confront the finitude of life and realize the importance of making the most out of the limited time that I have left. – Alex Dow, Cardiff

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On Saturday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m., at the Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave., I’ll be performing “Pirates of the Sea,” a hilarious and informative celebration of National TalkLike a Pirate Day. Admission is free and worth every penny. I’d love to meet you there.

Please send your questions and comments about language to richardhlederer@gmail.com website: www.verbivore.com.