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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Me vs myself

7 replies

grammarpsuedonym · 30/01/2023 12:38

Prompted by the recent grammar thread here is my posting for traffic. NC as prepared for a flaming.

’Myself’ is a reflexive pronoun. English is not my native language. We learned, and the online grammar guides I have been consulting today confirm, it is used when the subject of the sentence is ‘I’. Otherwise one uses ‘me’ as the object.

Why do British of all classes and educational levels typically say ‘This is between Camilla and myself’ instead of ‘This is between Camilla and me’? Americans do not, although those who are trying too hard might say ‘This is between Camilla and I’. I don’t know about other English speaking countries. To my ear, ‘myself’ sounds as bad as ‘I’ in this context.

Languages evolves, etc. And generally I admire the British use of English. But this is unnecessarily awkward, going against the grain of what is usually good about British English, as well as apparently incorrect. Why?

OP posts:
LaPerduta · 30/01/2023 12:45

Because they don't read edited it high-quality prose, because they haven't been taught, because they don't care, because almost everyone does it so they think it's correct, because they have been erroneously taught that it is correct, etc.

And I hate it, too. It's pretentious and ignorant.

LaPerduta · 30/01/2023 12:46

FFS. Edited or high-quality.

The irony.

jjeoreo · 30/01/2023 12:48

Tell me about it, I can't stand it.

I think people think it's "formal" and more correct.

Oysterbabe · 30/01/2023 12:48

Can't people take this shit to pedants corner?

LulooLemon · 30/01/2023 12:48

URDNBU

The wrong use of 'myself' gets on myself's nerves.

custardlover · 30/01/2023 12:49

I hate 'myself' in this context! It's like nails down a blackboard for me.

Laiste · 30/01/2023 12:51

The use of 'myself' instead of 'me' or good old 'i' is getting ridiculous.

They are attempting to try to sound officious and come off seeming thick. Or struggling with a split personality.

I was asked ''Can you send myself the reply asap please?'' recently. My eyes rolled so hard i nearly lost them out the back of my head.

OK. Will you please inform yourself it's in the post?

🙄

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