Grammatical Case (was: that long subject) War of Roses/Holmes?Figg/Walpurga

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <sistermagpie at ...> wrote:

> Magpie:
> Totally random, but everytime I hear phrases like this I remember one 
> time years ago when an assistant from a publisher in England was 
> calling to talk to me at my publisher. Now, I don't know what anybody 
> else says, or whether it's a regional thing or a national thing or 
> what, but when she called I gave what to me was the standard response 
> to identify myself.
> 
> She: May I speak to Sister Magpie, please?
> 
> Me: This is she.

<snip>
 
> And this time, since my brain still refused to supply me with the 
> proper alternative:
> 
> Me: Hold on, I'll go get her.
> 
> *holds phone in hand for a few seconds, then puts it back to mouth*
> 
> Me: (trying to sound slightly different) This is Sister Magpie.
> 
> She: (thrilled) Hi! This is So and so!

Geoff:
Interestingly, if I lift the phone and someone says "May I speak to 
Geoff Bannister", the response I always use is, to  reply by saying 
"Speaking".