Why have people started using reflexive pronouns so much?

[Flippetydip]

I seem to hear a lot recently of "what can I get for yourself?" or "could you send it to myself with a, b and c copied in".

You get something for yourself, I get something for you. I send something to myself, I send something to you.

Is this now considered acceptable English?

No, it is not acceptable English, any more than the incorrect use of "I" rather than "me" is, as in V Beckham's wedding tweet about being grateful "for the invitation to David and I".

I often ask myself that.

I used to work next to a woman who used to do it all the time. I think in an attempt to sound intelligent. It failed.

I find it’s estate agents who do it most! It’s like people are over compensating and trying to sound intelligent, but they’ve got it so badly wrong they actually just sound ridiculous.

bills version is fine.

The whole ‘just ask Linda or myself’ thing is fucking teeth achingly annoying.

It's people trying posh themselves up.

Ridiculous.

Yeah they’re just trying to be clever... and failing.

I get the impression people use them to sound less direct and more polite

Some companies even seem to train their staff to use them, it's very very annoying.

I almost can’t watch The Apprentice because of it 😄 cold callers are also terrible for it, makes me completely stop listening to them too. Somehow referring to me and ‘yourself’ sounds passive aggressive/sarcastic 😄

we should all be asking ourselves this question.

it's all over the place. In speech too. Don't know where it is coming from.

Yes - the Apprentice is a nightmare for this. The irony of course is that in a misguided attempt to sound ‘posh’, they’re actually revealing their ignorance. Shame they don’t grasp this, really...

It's usually accompanied by an attempt to extract money of some sort ime.

It's aggravating, but I don't think it's a new thing; I remember moaning about it when DS1 was a baby and he's 18

Oh Christ, I hate this. It makes people sound thick as mince.

Once people hear it used incorrectly by others, they start to use it themselves.

I don't correct it when I hear it myself.

Myself don't know. Myself assume that themselves view the personal pronoun "me" as informal while the reflexive pronoun is formal and the "correct" form. Whatever it is, myself find it annoying.

It’s such a nasty contortion of language. I think people think it makes them sound formal, but they just sound thick.

This is an old favourite on Pedants' Corner. You are being unreasonable to say "started" in your thread title - I can think back 30 years to people doing this (yes, so odd that I still remember it), and this thread is 9 years old:www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pedants_corner/695112-quot-I-myself-quot

And yes agree it’s not new , my step dad used to do it in the 70 s . I’ve been cringing all that time.

I hate this too. Same with people saying I instead of me.

Although language has to evolve and change with time. The more people use the incorrect word, the more chance of it becoming correct!

Doesn't stop it being very annoying though.

"I get the impression people use them to sound less direct and more polite"

I think so too. Apparently, this is also the reason for the high-rising terminal. I think both actually come over as passive-aggressive in reality.

It gets on my tits.

I think the worst example of this is "Myself and John are going to..."

Me and DP hate it too.

They think it makes them sound 'posh'. I think it makes them sound stupid.