Dearest English Aesthetes,
There are rather curious instances in English where one wonders why a certain manner of speaking is favoured over others. Our language is deeply idiosyncratic, often preserving exceptions to prevailing standards like flies trapped in amber.
Today’s instance is the use of demur in the phrase without demur. We routinely say things such as “without objecting” or “without complaining”, so why do we rarely say “without demurring”?
