Do you have such a thing as a pen about you/your person?

[GoodTaste]

Today we ask "Do you have a pen" rather than in the form of "Do you have such a thing as a pen about your person?"

The question here is whether there are some people who still ask "Do you have such a thing as a pen about your person?".

Does it sound bookish?
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[h=3]about preposition (POSITION)[/h]
UK formalin a particular place:

Do you have such a thing as a pen about you/your person? (= Do you have a pen?)

Source: Cambridge Dictionary
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/about

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Today we ask "Do you have a pen" rather than in the form of "Do you have such a thing as a pen about your person?"

The question here is whether there are some people who still ask "Do you have such a thing as a pen about your person?".

Ugh! No!

Does it sound bookish?

No. It sounds ridiculous.

When I was a little, some kids would say say, "Can I see your pen?" — meaning: Can I use your pen?

So I'd hold it up for them to look at: Ha!

 

[GoodTaste]

I doubt if there are many people today who still use the word 'bookish'.

Would they use pedantic instead today?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's not pedantic or bookish. It's just old-fashioned. Unless you're trying to sound like that, avoid "Do you have such a thing as a ...?" when you simply want to ask "Do you have a ...?"