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In the early 1990s I had the opportunity to study Spanish as part of a Whitworth University program. I could never get a handle on the difference between para and por, prepositions each meaning “for” but with subtle differences in usage.

My quandary made me think of non-native English speakers trying to figure out English prepositions. Other parts of speech, like nouns and verbs, are generally easily understood. But prepositions…. They are shaped more by idiomatic usage rather than rules.

Making things worse are those pedants who insist that one should not end a sentence with a preposition. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is credited with responding to some clumsy English by saying this was something “up with which I will not put.” Or so the story goes. Like several quotes attributed to Churchill, however, this anecdote had its origins elsewhere.

Americans often add needless prepositions to phrases like get off of my cloud or head up a committee. One can turn this into a game: try stringing together as many prepositions as possible. Think of the boy sent to bed when Mom promised she would come upstairs and read him a story. The book she chose wasn’t his favorite so he asked her, “What did you bring the book I didn’t want to be read to out of up for?”

Then there’s what is supposedly the world record for the most prepositions ending a sentence: “What did you turn your socks from inside in to inside out instead of from outside out to inside in for?”

But back to the matter of dealing with pompous wanna-be grammarians who delight in pointing out that you have ended a sentence with a preposition. Feign ignorance and ask, “What are you talking about?” Or say, “Too late. The rot has set in.”

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