Myself - no, you mean I or me!

[Hottoffeesauce]

Has anyone else noticed that people are using 'myself' because they aren't sure about when to use 'I' or 'me'? Drives me crackers!

When you want to emphasise, you can use the 'self' word and I believe it's called the emphatic pronoun in that case. e.g. 'I, myself, always believed what he told us that night.' 'What do you, yourself, think about the new plans?'

I have a modern grammar book which says 'myself, yourself, himself etc. are reflexive or emphatic pronouns'.

I've heard Catherine get that one wrong. They won't be the only graduates who do. 😑 Maybe I'll drop a gentle letter to them.

William's brother, Harold, once came on telly and told me and you and us and them that 'Meghan and myself had a son this morning'...

Eton??

Oooh, I love this group!

To add to what pp have said - it's a prissy overcorrection. Usually by people who have no real understanding of grammar but had too many teachers rant against the misuse of "me" rather than "I" as the subject of a sentence and therefore avoid using it altogether. It's almost always worse than the original crime since "me" as a subject is often used for emphasis, which makes it legitimate.

Funnily enough, I've recently started seeing the same kind of overcorrection cropping up with regard to reflexive pronouns! People using "me" or "you" where they should have used the reflexive. Too much time spent on threads like this one? 😄😄

The Apprentice Syndrome! It drives me mad - ‘if you could pass that back to myself’ - ARGH!

@StopFeckingFaffing Not a native English speaker but I learned that they are reflexive pronouns - so it refers back to doing something for/to the subject eg. I made myself a coffee.

Sentences starting with myself or me drive mr nuts. Myself and my friend went to town, me and my husband went shopping. NO. In these instances it should be my friend and I, my husband and I.

The shop sent samples to myself and my partner, me and my partner chose a couple. NO. The shop sent samples to my partner and me, my partner and I chose.

Typo! Not mr - me!

It’s always interested me to see changes in the usage of words. The latest one I’m seeing more often is infer when they mean imply - the more common mistake always used to be the other way round, and you hardly ever heard or read anyone using infer or inferred. I’d love to know what’s causing that one!

This thread has reminded me of Alan Partridge's pet hates.

Alan (to his listeners): If you joined us, we’re just talking about the word “obligate.” Not to repeat myself, similar to yesterday’s discussion about people mistakenly using the world “repulse” when they mean “repel.” If you find something compulsive, it compels. If something is propulsive, it propels. Ergo, if something is repulsive, it repels. It doesn’t repulse.

Yep people think it makes ‘theirself’ sound clever and distinguished, while confirming they are the opposite.

One that interests me is "incredible." I'm not sure to what extent this has happened in British English, but in American English, this word seems to have lost, or is fast losing, its meaning of "impossible to believe" and has become a casual synonym for very good or excellent. "Oh, this mac and cheese is incredible."

Just bumping this to share part of this email I've just received from my bank:

I will be attempting to call yourself with the phone number that you have provided to us tomorrow morning.

If this is not convenient please do let me know.

Just to reassure you that there is nothing to be concerned regarding the reason for this call. I can see that it has been sometime since we have spoken to yourself.

I am more than happy to contact yourself once I have been verified if you so wish.

So tempted to reply using myself repeatedly.

I will be attempting to call yourself with the phone number that you have provided to us tomorrow morning.

@Clymene - it's the unnecessary verbiage of that whole sentence that gets to me - what's wrong with...

I will try calling you tomorrow morning on the number that you gave us.

Even better! ...

Thanks for the number. I will call you tomorrow morning.

Definitely a sales call!

Thank you for your email to myself. I note that yourself has advised myself that yourself may be calling myself tomorrow.

Myself was concerned to see that yourself sought to reassure me not to worry. Myself would like to advise yourself that myself would feel much better if yourself sought to reassure myself rather than me.

Yourselves sincerely,

xoxox

Well, himself called myself this morning and the conversation went 'how's everything going? Kay good, fine, give me a ring if you need anything, goodbye.'

He sounded really young so I'm afraid I didn't take him to task over his shitty grammar. In any event, I don't blame him, I blame his manager.

Or even oneself...

Reflexive pronouns cam also be used for emphasis/contradiction, as in: "No, I did it all myself."

Is that meant to be a joke? 🤔

I didn’t get taught English grammar at school. There was a lot said by the teachers about expressing myself (? See below) and just few things life apostrophes as a topic as a nod to grammar.

I only really got to know much about grammar when I learnt French and German.

Is that correct because I could say “There was a lot about me expressing myself”? Is it wrong because it needed me, or just plain wrong?

I loathe the myself/yourself trend but keep noticing it in novels I love. Dumbledore is a repeat offender, as are the cast of Pride and Prejudice.

"I assure you, that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself"

"I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself."

His behaviour to myself has been scandalous"

the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting"

Dumbledore:

"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this ‘You-Know-Who’ nonsense."

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy."

I'm sure I've noticed it in other classics, so was it a feature of the time?
As for Dumbledore though...

"There was a lot about me expressing myself”

That doesn't sound wrong to me. It's reflexive. You are doing something regarding yourself, in this case expressing.

John Finnemore as Arthur in "Cabin Pressure" is hilarious when he uses the reflexive pronoun incorrectly, thinking that he is both impressive and being suitably obsequious. (But he is the only person who can get away with it in my book, otherwise it drives me nuts!)

Here's the first example I could find: Cabin Pressure, Series 1, Episode 4

"[In the passenger cabin.]

LACHLAN: Hey. [snaps fingers] Hey, pal!

ARTHUR: Yes, sir? How can myself be of assistance to yourself?

LACHLAN: When are we gettin' this thing moving? (RANDOM SCOT: Aye!)

ARTHUR: Ah. I do regret to inform yourselves that the delay that's going on currently is still currently ongoing. But we will keep you fully informed as to the developments of any developments as they develop."

IIRC it was Nasty Nick being interrogated about whether / why he did something nasty. The housemate in charge of the interrogation wanted to come across all officious so he kept saying "yourself" instead of "you".

"On behalf of myself and train crew ..." 🤔

I see Suella Braverman has been at it today
"Myself and the Prime Minister"
We've always called it estate agent speak.