By Clover Carroll
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing the 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees, you may remember Lola singing about her exploits in “Whatever Lola Wants” and “A Little Brains, a Little Talent,” lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Lola, an alluring witch played by Gwen Verdon in the film version, entraps men into signing their souls over to the devil (Ray Walston) by seducing them. (The show is considered a modern retelling of the Faust legend in the context of baseball.) In the latter song, she explains her methodology: “It’s no great art,” she croons to her latest victim, Joe (Tab Hunter), “gettin’ the heart of a man on a silver platter: a little brains…. a little talent—with the emphasis on the latter!” This former/latter construction is further celebrated later in the song, with “There’s no trick gettin’ some hick who is cool just a little warmer! A little talent… a little brains—with the emphasis on the former!” The formality of this word pair contrasts with the sultry, vampish style of the song, adding to the humorous effect.
Sadly, the words “former” and “latter” are rarely heard in our conversation or media these days—probably because people have forgotten what they mean or how to use them. Grammar Girl (www.quickanddirtytips.com) even recommends avoiding them altogether, because they confuse the reader. I hope I can persuade you not to listen to her! The meaning of this sometimes confusing word pair is really very simple. They are almost always used to distinguish between two choices. “Latter” means “last one” and “former” means “first one.” So in Lola’s case, the second mentioned of her two skills is talent (and by talent, Lola of course means sex appeal). Former, as a counterbalance to latter, means the first mentioned of the two—once again, talent. Knowing how to use former and latter can come in very handy, and add elegance to your writing, when you are comparing, choosing, or explaining the relationship between two things. Of course, “former” also has its more commonly used meaning of past or previous (as in “former governor Mark Warner” or “she is a mere shadow of her former self”).
For example, I plan to cook two pies for Thanksgiving this year: pecan and cherry. Everyone likes the former, but the latter is my personal favorite. The “former” refers to the first item mentioned, namely pecan pie, whereas the “latter” refers to the second item mentioned, that is, the cherry pie. Most cooks these days choose store-bought pie crusts over homemade, but I still prefer the latter (i.e., homemade). On Thanksgiving Day, we will gather around the fire, whether it be a gas or wood-burning fireplace. It is hard to choose between these two; the former is easier, but the latter more picturesque. In the interests of concision, the “is” in the second clause can be considered implied, and is therefore dropped. Between erring and forgiving, the former is human; the latter, divine. Faith, hope, and charity are virtues, but few possess them—particularly the latter (OED).
This word pair can be especially useful to replace a pronoun whose reference would be unclear by itself. If I were to say, “when I discussed our Thanksgiving menu with Lucy and Martha, she felt that two pies would be enough,” you would not know which “she” I meant—Lucy or Martha. However, this confusion would be avoided if I said instead, “while discussing our Thanksgiving menu with Lucy and Martha, the latter felt that two pies would be enough.” Now we know that it was Martha, not Lucy, who was miserly in her pie planning.
Of course, these two words may also be used independent of each other. Both have their origin in Old and Middle English; “former” is derived from foremost, while “latter” is closely related to later. Latter is an old-fashioned word that is fading from use, but was once more widely used to refer to any subsequent item or second part. The “latter born” referred to the second child. “Latter days” is often used to refer to the end of life or even the end of time, leading up to judgment day. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25, King James Bible). James Joyce even plays with the potential for confusion in Ulysses: “The former returned to the latter a sum of money advanced by the latter to the former.”
There are many instances of this word in this month’s outstanding Crozet Library Book Club selection, The Woman in White, published in 1869 by Wilkie Collins. “During the latter part of their journey they were alone in the carriage” and “Miss Halcombe went at once to the offices of Messrs. Gilmore and Kyrle, to consult with the latter gentleman.” Collins even makes regular use of “latterly,” as an approximate synonym for “lately,” “[the nurse] was to mention… that Anne Catharick had been inquiring latterly about the distance from London to Hampshire.” Today this word would probably be considered obsolete.
When we think of the many blessings for which we are thankful, family and friends often come first to mind. While the former traditionally refers only to blood relatives, the latter can often become so close as to be considered family also. In giving thanks for the bounty and beauty of nature, we realize that the former feeds the body while the latter feeds the soul. These usages are not only elegant, they are practical and add clarity to our writing. I am thankful for words, and for grace and elegance in writing; the more you know of the former, the more you will display of the latter. This Thanksgiving, I hope your feast includes the former, the latter, and everything in between. May your bountiful table be surrounded by the love of family and friends—with an emphasis on the latter!
