Mary Killen Mary Killen

Dear Mary: How can I stop my future son-in-law saying ‘must of’

Plus: A painless turn for country house weekends, and a way to make supermarket visits entertaining

issue 08 November 2014

Q. My future son-in-law has been successfully house-trained in the use of upper-middle-class English over the years that he has been walking out with my daughter. However, one bad habit remains. How can I cure him of saying ‘must of’ when he means ‘must have’? He always says ‘of’ very clearly, as though he really means it.

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