whom

Related to whom: To Whom It May Concern

(those) whom the gods love die young

Those who die at a young age do so because God or the gods want to bring them into everlasting happiness in the afterlife sooner than other people. Sometimes rendered "whom God loves…" to better fit with Judeo-Christian beliefs. The only way I can cope with horrible accidents like this one is to tell myself that whom the gods love die young. I know we are all grieving over the sudden and tragic death of Thomas. But although he will be missed, we should also rejoice, for those whom God loves die young, and Thomas is in heaven with our Lord right now.
See also: die, god, love, whom, young

ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for (someone or something)

Someone or something, especially a business, enterprise, organization, etc., is facing impending or imminent ruin or failure. It comes from a paraphrase of a quote from the poet John Donne, which in full reads, "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." As the Internet and digital media continue to grow in size and dominance, ask not for whom the bell tolls—it tolls for print-based businesses around the world. More and more evidence has been unearthed regarding the senator's involvement in the embezzlement scandal. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for him.
See also: ask, bell, not, toll, whom

to whom it may concern

To the person to whom this letter applies or to whom it ultimately reaches. A formal address used at the beginning of a letter or email when the appropriate or ultimate recipient's identity is unknown. To whom it may concern: I am writing today to lodge a formal complaint against your company.
See also: concern, may, whom

to whom this may concern

To the person to whom this letter applies or to whom it ultimately reaches. A formal address used at the beginning of a letter or email when the appropriate or ultimate recipient's identity is unknown. To whom this may concern: I am writing today to lodge a formal complaint against your company.
See also: concern, may, this, whom

With whom do you wish to speak?

A very polite and formal way of asking a caller whom they are trying to contact. The use of such formal and grammatically rigid formations has become uncommon in modern English. A: "Hello, operator? Put me through to Precinct 76." B: "Of course, sir. With whom do you wish to speak?" A: "Commissioner Garnet. Tell her Will Duffy is calling."
See also: whom, wish
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

to whom it may concern

Cliché to the person to whom this applies. (A form of address used when you do not know the name of the person who handles the kind of business you are writing about.) The letter started out, "To whom it may concern." When you don't know who to write to, just say, "To whom it may concern."
See also: concern, may, whom

Whom the gods love die young.

Prov. Virtuous or gifted people die at an early age, because the gods want those people to be with them in the afterlife. So many brilliant authors and artists died before the age of fifty that it's easy to believe that whom the gods love die young.
See also: die, god, love, whom, young

With whom do you wish to speak?

a polite phrase used by people who answer the telephone to find out whom the caller wants to speak to. (Compare this with Who do you want to talk to?) John answered the telephone and then said, "With whom do you wish to speak?" Tom (answering the phone): Good morning, Acme Air Products. With whom do you wish to speak? Sue: Sorry, I have the wrong number. Tom: That's perfectly all right. Have a nice day.
See also: whom, wish
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

to whom it may concern

To the appropriate recipient for this message, as in I didn't know who was responsible for these complaints so I just addressed it "to whom it may concern ." This phrase is a formula used in letters, testimonials, and the like when one does not know the name of the proper person to address. [Second half of 1800s]
See also: concern, may, whom
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • (those) whom the gods love die young
  • Whom the gods love die young
  • young
  • depart from this world
  • God rest his/her soul
  • God rest soul
  • (God) rest his/her/their soul
  • eternal
  • eternal life
  • fit for the gods
References in classic literature
"All those he is in the habit of receiving!" replied Milady, for whom this conversation began to have a real interest.
"Name a few of those whom you know, and you will see if they are my friends."
How could I help being astonished when, without having the least expectation of such a thing, I meet you face to face--you, of whom we have so often spoken together, you whom he loves with all his soul, you whom he had taught me to love before I had seen you!
Three Musketeers
"Forgive me if I interrupt you," said Raoul, darting a glance full of severity at De Wardes; "but you give me the impression of being unacquainted with the gentleman of whom you are speaking."
Ten Years Later
And as many other rivers are there, babbling as they flow, sons of Ocean, whom queenly Tethys bare, but their names it is hard for a mortal man to tell, but people know those by which they severally dwell.
Also she bare Asteria of happy name, whom Perses once led to his great house to be called his dear wife.
But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Earth and starry Heaven, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down.
Collection Of Hesiod Homer and Homerica
The two De Witts, wrongly judged and wrongly punished in a moment of popular error, were two great citizens, of whom Holland is now proud."
The two principal ornaments of his drawing-room were those two leaves from the Bible of Cornelius de Witt, in large golden frames; one of them containing the letter in which his godfather enjoined him to burn the correspondence of the Marquis de Louvois, and the other his own will, in which he bequeathed to Rosa his bulbs under condition that she should marry a young man of from twenty-six to twenty-eight years, who loved her and whom she loved, a condition which was scrupulously fulfilled, although, or rather because, Cornelius did not die.
The Black Tulip
The foul fiend to whom it properly belongs must relieve us of our loathsome task.
And with those whose impulses have guided them to benevolent actions, we will rank others to whom Providence has assigned a different tendency and different powers.
Mosses From An Old Manse and other stories
I have told you this, my father, though it has not to do with my story, because then, and then only, did I ever see Chaka show mercy to one whom he had doomed to die.
I looked and saw that this was that Masilo whom Chaka had charged with a message to him who was named Bulalio, or the Slaughterer, and who ruled over the People of the Axe.
Nada The Lily
``Tush!'' said Gurth, ``I fear discovery from none, saving my playfellow, Wamba the Jester, of whom I could never discover whether he were most knave or fool.
We must now change the scene to the village of Ashby, or rather to a country house in its vicinity belonging to a wealthy Israelite, with whom Isaac, his daughter, and retinue, had taken up their quarters; the Jews, it is well known, being as liberal in exercising the duties of hospitality and charity among their own people, as they were alleged to be reluctant and churlish in extending them to those whom they termed Gentiles, and whose treatment of them certainly merited little hospitality at their hand.
Ivanhoe