Me, Myself and I

[niadainud]

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.

Absolutely agree with all of this. Years ago I came across the phrase, 'Hens lay, people lie'. Sorted.

I’ve seen so many threads on mn where people picked on people for using myself, herself etc and I think it’s very insulting and mean. Also in general the people ranting about the grammar end up bickering among themselves and derailing a thread. Why do you all care enough to make it such a thing?

I'd say "Sit yourself down", in Yorkshire.
But then again, we've established that I might not be the best person to listen to on this!

Dialect and probably not written down?

But sit yourself down is correct anyway as it's a reflexive pronoun.

I think the confusion comes partly from "your good self" - which would work from a grammatical perspective ("John went to tea with yourself" is incorrect whereas "John went to tea with your good self" is fine, if old-fashioned).

And yes, there are colloquial uses of the reflexive pronoun that are part of the language in some places.

See also: "sit thissen down" if we're going proper Yorkshire.

I couldn't have married him. Sorry.

Ugh, couldn't agree more. With 'and I', it's what's known as a hypercorrection - people get it drummed into them at school that you never say 'me and...', you always say '...and I', so they always say '...and I', even when it's wrong. For some reason English grammar teaching never seems to address it!

And the rest of us couldn't give a shit so you're wasting your time. Back in your corner!!

This particular one spreads like a virus. It really grinds my gears at work. Someone will write it in formal document, something like "please don't hesitate to contact myself" at the end of an email, and then other people think that this is the formal way of saying "me" and so start doing it too. As suggested by various others, I think a lot of people genuinely think it is formal writing, or is smarter than "me" or "I".

This had driven me mad for decades.

What is the point of putting it where only pedants will see it?

Putting it on the main forum may just mean that someone will get the message, though I’m not holding my breath.

I’ve often wanted to post about the difference between your and you’re, too.
So for anyone unsure, ‘your’ means ‘belonging to you’ and ‘you’re’ is short for ‘you are’. Not at all difficult, is it?

Phew, I feel better now.

And yet here you are...

Doesn't surprise me. There is a professor emeritus on Twitter/X who uses "alot".

I share your discomfort.

I'm entirely unable to read the non-word "alot" without thinking of this Hyperbole and a Half: The Alot is Better Than You at Everything

Two words to add to the pile; brought and bought. Using the wrong one sets my teeth on edge.

Me too!

God yes, I've just this minute read a thread where the OP misuses this.

Hmm, the voting on this thread doesn't seem to be bearing that out...

Ah - good point. I probably would have guessed at the right one but I wouldn't know why 'mine' wasn't right.

Also, love your username; whenever I see a dachshund I give my 4yo a nudge and point "A schnizel von krumm!"

This. ⬆️

Urgh. LTB!

Think Kirstie Allsop is also partly responsible for this!

My 5yo is always on the lookout for our local Muffin McLay! 😁🐶