Ah you're right, it's in Fowler and in fact, in the earlier (first edition 1906) <i>The King's English</i>. Fittingly, for something that evolved into a classic, it touches on almost all the points discussed in this thread, in one paragraph and a footnote:<p><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/116/101.html#5" rel="nofollow">http://www.bartleby.com/116/101.html#5</a>