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Me, Myself and I

135 replies

niadainud · 22/07/2025 15:58

For the love of Lindley Murray, please can people stop using "myself" and "I" when they actually mean "me"?

"Myself and DP..." is never correct (at least I can't think of an example when it would be correct to begin a sentence in this way) and just sounds pretentious. "Myself" is a reflexive pronoun, or used for emphasis: "I hurt myself" or "I wouldn't do it like that myself".

"I" is for when you are the subject of the sentence (i.e. you are the one doing it): for example, "DP and I like to go dogging at the weekend."

"He came dogging with my DP and I" is wrong as "I" is being erroneously used as an object pronoun in that example.

In short, "me" is not a dirty word, even if "dogging" is.

Sorry, I know some people hate grammar threads that stray outside Pedants' Corner and I fully expect to be jumped on for any minor solecism I may have inadvertently committed, but I'm running out of patience with this one.

Oh, and while I'm at it, you're most probably "lying", not "laying", unless you are some sort of bird.

OP posts:
BoudiccaRuled · 22/07/2025 21:22

Thank you, OP.

niadainud · 22/07/2025 21:02

softlyfallsthesnow · 22/07/2025 20:45

I think you'll find quite enough responses on here.

With you 100% OP. I've had the misfortune of reading on school staff room notice boards "Please see Mrs Bloggs or I about Esmeralda" more times than I care to remember.
Teachers eh?!

Edited

One of the worst I've heard is, "Please come to Fiona and I's exhibition." Made me wince.

OP posts:
humblebea · 22/07/2025 20:56

I really enjoyed reading that op.

softlyfallsthesnow · 22/07/2025 20:45

TY78910 · 22/07/2025 20:34

You probably want to move this to Pedants’ Corner. You’ll get a lot of bite there

I think you'll find quite enough responses on here.

With you 100% OP. I've had the misfortune of reading on school staff room notice boards "Please see Mrs Bloggs or I about Esmeralda" more times than I care to remember.
Teachers eh?!

PistachioTiramisuLimoncello · 22/07/2025 20:44

Yesssss!!!! It just makes you sound stupid. Not clever. Like you think it does. THANK YOU OP 🙌🙌

niadainud · 22/07/2025 20:43

Trainstrike · 22/07/2025 20:41

Yes this drives me crazy. It's really increased in job applications and the interviews I do.

I was really surprised to hear it used incorrectly recently by someone who has a languages degree from Cambridge.

OP posts:
niadainud · 22/07/2025 20:41

TY78910 · 22/07/2025 20:34

You probably want to move this to Pedants’ Corner. You’ll get a lot of bite there

You're probably right, but most people there already know how to use "myself"!

OP posts:
Trainstrike · 22/07/2025 20:41

Yes this drives me crazy. It's really increased in job applications and the interviews I do.

Jarstastic · 22/07/2025 20:39

Oh my goodness. Myself should only be used in the reflexive or emphatic.

Many years ago I worked in a company where the CEO always said it. So everyone else said it. Nobody ever said me! Company culture 'gorn mad'!

I had to leave.

TY78910 · 22/07/2025 20:34

You probably want to move this to Pedants’ Corner. You’ll get a lot of bite there