# BCS: zajednički prijatelj



## Anna_A

One person wrote me on internet, saying that 1 his friend gave him my email address. I want to ask for name of that friend. Is this correct way to ask it:

(Da li mogu da znam ko je naš zajednički prijatelj?)

My try: May I ask you who is our friend in common?

My I also use: Who is our together friend?  ?


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## Latinoamericana

I'd go for the first one.
The second one doesn't sound all that good to me. 
Let's wait and see what will the others say.
Greetings.


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## phosphore

Anna_A said:


> One person wrote me on internet, saying that 1 his friend gave him my email address. I want to ask for name of that friend. Is this correct way to ask it:
> 
> (Da li mogu da znam ko je naš zajednički prijatelj?)
> 
> My try: May I ask you who is our friend in common?
> 
> My I also use: Who is our together friend? ?


 

May I ask who is our common friend?


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## Majalj

I'd say: 
May I ask who is our mutual friend? 
Or: 
...who is the friend we both know? 

Common may have different meanings in this context and sounds even a bit pejorative.


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## SweetCherry

"May I ask who our mutual friend is?"
Agreed with Majalj, but the word order should be this way.


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## phosphore

Though it is commonly used, _mutual friend_ is not considered very proper English, because _mutual_ means _reciprocal_.


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## SweetCherry

phosphore said:


> Though it is commonly used, _mutual friend_ is not considered very proper English, because _mutual_ means _reciprocal_.


My English-English dictionary is listing a _mutual friend_ as a_ friend that two people both have._
It does not list a _common friend._ So, though both of them are in use, it looks like a _common friend_ is not very proper English.
If you want to use an expression with common, you shoyld say _a friend in common._


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## phosphore

May I ask what dictionary do you use? 




> Main Entry: com-mon (...)
> 
> 2 a: belonging to or shared by two or more individuals or things or by all members of a group <a _common_ friend>


 
Quoted from _Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary,_ entry: common



> OUR MUTUAL FRIEND (...)
> 
> Any piggish pupil teacher could tell Dickens that there is no such phrase in English as "our mutual friend." Any one could tell Dickens that "our mutual friend" means "our reciprocal friend", and that "our reciprocal friend" means nothing. (...) He would have known that the correct phrase for a man known to two people is "our common friend."


 
Quoted from G. K. Chesterton, _Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens_, page 190, available on Google Books


That is not all, of course.


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## SweetCherry

phosphore said:


> May I ask what dictionary you use/you have used?


 
I have used LONGMAN, Dictionary of contemporary English.
Indeed, maybe it is Dickens' fault that _mutual friends_ is in common use today.


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## Majalj

SweetCherry said:


> "May I ask who our mutual friend is?"
> Agreed with Majalj, but the word order should be this way.


 
I stand corrected.  I focused so much on understanding common as priprost, I forgot the word order completely.


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