phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Does the phrase "my one" exist

Posted by Smokey Stover on April 02, 2005

In Reply to: Does the phrase "my one" exist posted by Brian from Shawnee on April 01, 2005

: : : Does the phrase "my one" exist? Many advice not to use "my one" and use "mine" instead.
: : Those are two separate issues. Exist? Yes. What many advise?
: : Well, many others have used often:
: : My One And Only Love lyrics
: : The very thought of you makes
: : My heart sing
: : Like an April breeze
: : On the wings of spring
: : And you appear in all your splendor
: : My one and only love

: : The shadows fall
: : And spread their mystic charms
: : In the hush of night
: : While you're in my arms
: : I feel your lips so warm and tender
: : My one and only love

: : The touch of your hand is like heaven
: : A heaven that I've never known
: : The blush on your cheek
: : Whenever I speak
: : Tells me that you are my own

: : You fill my eager heart with
: : Such desire
: : Every kiss you give
: : Sets my soul on fire
: : I give myself in sweet surrender
: : My one and only love

: : The blush on your cheek
: : Whenever I speak
: : Tells me that you are my own
: : You fill my eager heart with
: : Such desire
: : Every kiss you give
: : Sets my soul on fire
: : I give myself in sweet surrender
: : My one and only love

: : My one and only love

: I think "my one" in this sense is a fragment of the phrase "my one and only". If you say "my one" instead of "mine", as in "this gasoline station is my one" you'll sound like a non-native speaker of English.

As in many other European languages, "one" can do duty as a pronoun, as a numeral, and as a numerical adjective. It's as a numerical adjective that it is used in "my one and only." As a numerical adjective it often follows a genitive, like my, your, his, its, the century's, etc., as in: my one desire, his one fault, the mayor's one virtue, Alfred's one saving grace, and so on. It's not really at all like "mine," which no longer functions as an adjective, or not often, and has no numerical meaning. You are mine own? Let me look into thine eyes? You can, of course, use two and all the numbers the same way: I could see his two eyes glowering at me, while his six fingers started trembling. He could no doubt see my one tooth chattering. SS

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.