> Take, for example, the sentence "One can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting." Sounds pretty schnobby, doesn't it? But look at these alternates:
> "Anyone can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting."
> "You can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting."
> "Art critics can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting."
> "Joe Blow can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting."
> "Everybody can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting."

I'm no English major, but...

"One can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting" is different from the above alternatives, though. "Anyone" and "Everybody" literally mean any person or every person (respectively); "One" is slightly more vague than that. It's not suggesting that *anyone* can appreciate the colors in the painting, or that only critics can appreciate the colors, or even only myself. It is stating, quite simply, that one can appreciate colors, one being the undefined person you mentioned.

It also, as gabby said, avoids gender confusion (and perhaps, to some extremists, bias). "Joe Blow can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting, and he may even enjoy some Picasso" is a lot more specific than "Someone can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting, and he or she may even enjoy some Picasso," which is more specific than simply "One can appreciate the colors and artistry of the Van Gogh painting, and one may even enjoy some Picasso."

I happen to like using "one" when referencing a person but no person in particular.

As for "on my person," I agree, it sounds stupid. It is used, though. *shrug* Nothing wrong with it, I suppose.

ri "Open to correction, as I'm probably off by a long shot on all or most of this" a