"please contact myself..." bit of a pedant's corner one...

[thereisfreedomwithin]

I am not guiltless of typos and spelling mistakes but just now we seem to have an outburst of "myselfitis" at work (solicitors)

Every new instruction is confirmed with a note to the client saying "if you have any question please contact myself".

To me, it needs correcting. It reduces our credibility AIBU? I always stop the trainees/paralegals from using it (simply pointing out that they will never read any judge using it in a judgment seems to cure them) but this is our adminstrator/client care team.

I have been told off before about my insistence on addressing clients as "Dear X" rather than "Hi X". That's my reason to hesitate.

Who were you told off by? I wouldn't expect my Solicitor to use "Hi X" in a formal communication. Nor "please contact myself" - is that an actual sentence? Are you surrounded by 20 year olds with no understanding of how to communicate in writing?

YANBU. I hate unnecessary reflexive pronouns.

It reduces your firm's credibility to a wide range of people, yes.

Yes, it started with estate agents and now it's everywhere.

I think people feel it makes them sound more professional and educated alas...

This pops up at my work tok and I hate it. People using myself and yourself as a formal version of me and you. Drives me nuts and sounds idiotic.

It's an awful attempt to sound formal.

Phew.

In a world of uncertainty, mumsnet can still be relied on.

I shall insist on "me".

Whilst we're at it, has anyone notice "Please see the below" creeping in? This is used to mean "Please see the [item/attachment/text] below." Oddly, I have always accepted the use of "above" in this context but seeing "below" used like this is really bothering me....

People who misuse 'myself' in that way will be first up against the wall when my pedantic revolution comes.

I wouldn't hire a solicitor who says "contact myself"

Yes, I've seen the "Please see below". I'm fighting back by spelling it out. "Please see the previous email trail" or "Please see the attached document".

And I never use myself/yourself unless it's warranted.

I had a phone call recently that had all three.

Yourself, myself, ourselves.

"If yourselves contact myself and I will make sure once the email is received by ourselves that we resolve the issue for yourself."

He was being really helpful with something but I wanted to SCREAM down the phone ag him.

People who misuse 'myself' in that way will be first up against the wall when my pedantic revolution comes.

Vive la revolution! Where may I sign up to help?

YANBU. I hate the unnecessary use of 'myself'. D1 had this yesterday in an email from the university she's hoping to go to in the autumn. It's so clumsy and pompous sounding.

"If yourselves contact myself and I will make sure once the email is received by ourselves that we resolve the issue for yourself."

He was being really helpful with something but I wanted to SCREAM down the phone ag him.

Really? Like...really, really???

Is he still alive?

Incorrect use of ‘myself’ is one of my biggest language related bugbears. It’s almost never correct to use myself, I don’t know why it gets used so often.

"Dave has already addressed this in his email dated 12th March 2020 - see below" is fine, if that email is going to be part of a continuous chain ending with yours. If Dave's email is in an attachment which the recipient will have to open separately, then it's not.

"See the below" is always wrong.

"Contact myself" is always wrong.

gavel

You are definitely correct!

I would also seriously think twice about hiring a solicitor (or any professional) whose standard client care letter showed such a poor grasp grammar.

A mistake like that in a template letter is much worse than a mistake in an off-the-cuff communication because I would assume it had been thoroughly checked by more than one person. I completely agree you should insist on its being changed.

Valid distinction, @PurpleSprain

'myself' sounds clunky and odd. I have to use some such phrase often and I just say, "Please don't hesitate to contact me'.

I use 'Hi ' in e-mails because 'Dear' sounds strange - and using just a person's name sounds rude. I get e-mails in from some who just use my name with no salutation and it's awkward replying to them so I just prefix with 'Good morning/afternoon'.

Cringing along with you. It feels like an overblown attempt at formality.

One of my small bugbears, although it’s not grammatically incorrect, is ‘utilise’ rather than ‘use’.

Allow myself to introduce... myself.

Would yourselves allow myself to join this revolution?

Even worse is "your good self" ..

Oh thank god. Our new trainee keeps using myself. It’s driving me insane. I have to keep amending it because I cannot let anything go out the door with that on it. Like a PP said, it sounds very much as if the author is trying to sound as though they are more intelligent than they actually are.

I completely agree you should insist on its being changed

Add that the clientele will go elsewhere if it doesn't stop. I'm surprised you've not had any complaints from clients about it, you would have done if I was one.

Interpretation of the law hinges on correct wording, why can't whoever sanctioned this idiocy see that?