Me, Myself and Yourselfs

[CactusMactus]

Can't watch The Traitors anymore because everyone says "myself" when they mean 'me" and yourself/s" when they mean "you". Driving me (myself?) up the bloody wall!

I don't know why people think it's more polite or formal or that it makes them seem more intelligent. It's just wrong.

...and estate agents and car sales people.

Yes, I think my allergy to this developed when I was in the process of buying/selling my house a few years ago. I can’t un-notice it when I hear it now and actually have a fairly visceral reaction to it.

Myself etc is frequently used in hiberno English but it follows rules. It's a more casual, informal term so I don't see it as trying to sound more intelligent/posh/official /etc. However, it just sounds wrong to me if it doesn't follow the hiberno English rules.

However, I do think the misuse of I vs me is people trying to sound posher/more intelligent.

Can I ask, those of you who hate the use of myself, do you use I and me correctly when referring to you and another person? What would you say if you were taking someone you and Jo were heading into town?

A lot of lrish people use it as its a direct translation from the lrish language and probably came into the vocabulary from that.
But it's still annoying here!

Depends on where here is😁

Irish people use myself and yourself/ himself/herself in a different way. It's more conversational and informal, not at all like the way the contestants on Traitors are using the reflexive pronouns.
Like everyone above has said, most are using it to sound more intelligent. They think it's a more formal use of me and you. I do feel some hesitation from some of them though. Like they know it sounds wrong but everyone else is doing it so now they're second guessing🙈

Agree.. soooo annoying

Jo and I are heading into town.

Would you like to head into town with Jo and me?

I will email you the details.

Ask me if you need any more information.

I kicked myself.
You kicked me.
You kicked yourself.
I kicked you.
We all kicked ourselves.
We all kicked each other.

How'd I do ?

People have done this at work for years and it does me in. It’s like they’re desperately trying to be polite by not saying “you”, even though it’s correct and not impolite to say it. Weird.

The other one I hate, which seems to be escalating, is missing out “to be” in a sentence. E.g:

“it needs fixed”

NO. It needs “to be” fixed. OR it needs “fixing”

Sounds dumb, and so irritating.

Saw this on Twitter on a traitors thread (haven’t read it though): https://oro.open.ac.uk/52960/3/Paterson%20BNC2014%20EAS_FINAL1.pdf

(it’s a paper on reflexive pronouns for anyone not wanting to click a pdf)

It’s like that line in the first Austin Powers movie. “Allow myself to introduce…myself.” 😂

Similarly, people tend to be aware now that 'X and I' is the correct phrase to use when you (i.e. the speaker) are the subject of the sentence. But people have now started using 'I' where it should actually be 'me' (e.g. 'He gave the money to my husband and I'). I think it's partly because native English speakers don't tend to focus on foreign language learning and so don't instinctively think about a sentence in terms of subject/direct object/indirect object. I wouldn't say I find it annoying, it's just something I notice a lot. The question of whether it 'matters' is an interesting one that is far too nuanced and multifaceted to delve into in a forum post!

@Isittimeformynapyet Thank you. That was a delight to read.

The misuse of "I" in those circumstances raises my blood pressure so it matters.

You monster. It is a modern dialect of English know as "formal recruitment consultant".

Can i also add "I was sat/stood" into the mix?

No you weren't. You were sitting/standing. This has been used in England for years but it's started to creep in here in Ireland recently. I blame British TV.

It’s a kind of fake “corporate speak” thing that people think makes them sound more intelligent. It’s incredibly grating.

The other grating part is that the "I", "Me" or "Myself" is usually place first in the sentence, when it should always be last. Eg "Myself and Jo went into town" or "Do you want to kick myself and Jo".

Is the intellectual high ground owned by people who watch this?

Or is this a very very awkward finger to point?

It drives me mad, too.

No, it's just people who think language should be used as a communication tool. I often wonder how on earth non-native English speakers cope with understanding any of the drivel written and spoken by many so-called native speakers.

I occasionally use I/me incorrectly, because incorrect has become more common than correct so my ear has changed.

The reflexive thing screams though. And DS2 does it. Though not unchallenged.

Basically don’t use it unless you have no choice. If it works without, leave it out.

I’m pretty sure the Hiberno usage just sounds right. Though I couldn’t say why.