Post by: Monkeyleg on March 17, 2007, 08:29:43 PM
To an extent, the words "me" or "I" or "myself" can be interchangeable.
Usually, though, the word "me" is the more appropriate term. But it seems that people want to sound more intelligent than they really are.
My teachers from the 1950's taught me to take references to others out of a sentence in order to establish whether the grammar was correct. For example, remove "my wife" from the sentence "my wife and myself took a trip down to Memphis."
Remove "my wife" from the sentence, and it sounds ridiculous.
Picayunne stuff, I know. But it bugs me.
Post by: Gewehr98 on March 17, 2007, 08:39:57 PM
From the days we had phonics class, (remember that?) I was taught to use "I" as the pronoun of choice when the sentence listed an accomplice and one's self. One was also instructed to use the first person descriptive pronoun in the latter position.
ie, "She and I" went for a banana split at Dairy Queen.
I don't see that used much in the written word these days.
Post by: Snowdog on March 17, 2007, 08:41:06 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 17, 2007, 08:44:57 PM
"Whenever my first child was born - "
"How many times did you give birth to the child?"
"Huh?"
Post by: bedlamite on March 17, 2007, 09:18:34 PM
May I grouse about "whenever"?
Whenever you like.
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 17, 2007, 09:57:34 PM
But, seeing as how whenever myself pours Cheerios is seldom, perhaps my complaint has fallen of the deaf ears of those of us who would like to keep the English language intact and coherent.
Whenever that happens.
Post by: zahc on March 17, 2007, 10:01:47 PM
Post by: Snowdog on March 17, 2007, 11:20:49 PM
People tend to leave your spoken grammar unchallenged when you obsessively check your shirt pocket while chatting with them. This immunity is enhanced when placing the middle and index finger under both your eyes then point at the fellow talking to you in an "I'm watching you" gesture.
An effective alternative is to have an about-to-sneeze expression frozen on your face after you’ve made a grammatical blunder. This generally forestalls any favors or tasks that they may have had planned for you as well.
I do not understand why it takes so much more caffeine these days just to remain lucid.
Post by: Bogie on March 17, 2007, 11:25:53 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_You_%28Falettinme_Be_Mice_Elf_Agin%29
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 04:56:54 AM
Post by: Cromlech on March 18, 2007, 05:23:27 AM
"I could care less."
To which I might reply :
"Oh really, so you are not entirely disinterested, then?"
This is a case of people misusing the phrase "I couldn't care less."
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 05:24:24 AM
The proof is in the pudding.
Post by: Cromlech on March 18, 2007, 05:34:13 AM
You know what they say, Cromlech...
The proof is in the pudding.
The proof is in the pudding.
I suppose so.
I just like to be a pedantic git.
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 05:36:05 AM
Post by: Cromlech on March 18, 2007, 05:40:31 AM
Just to be sure, you do know what the proper saying is, right?
Proper saying for which one?
EDIT: Do you mean "It would be impossible for me to care less than I do because I do not care at all."?
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 05:48:11 AM
It's really "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." From Don Quixote.
Post by: Cromlech on March 18, 2007, 05:51:20 AM
Post by: Art Eatman on March 18, 2007, 06:22:05 AM
"I" is always a subject of action; "me" is always an object of action. It's never the reverse. Dunno why that's hard to remember.
And where'n'ell did "woken" come from? I see it used quite a lot, these days. It seems to have replaced "awakened", which is the correct word for the application.
To me, sloppy use of language is indicative of sloppy thinking, which tells me not to loan money to such folks.
Art
Post by: TMM on March 18, 2007, 06:43:44 AM
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 06:46:25 AM
Lord, what a 'tard.
EVERYONE knows it's boughtted!
Post by: MattC on March 18, 2007, 10:04:38 AM
During my education pre-college, "myself" was graded as an appropriate word that lends to a mature tone. But the sentence, "She and myself went bowling," and, "He gave it to myself," would not pass. It was more along the lines of, "As for myself," and "myself included."
The English language has always been one of incorrectness and mutability, however. As an interesting side-note, ebonics shares traits with archaic pre-modern English grammar and pronounciation.
Like mentioned above, mis-spoken cliches irritate me. The mis-use of "well" and "good" irritates me as well. Not yet mentioned, however, is the irritation caused by a narrow vocabulary. For example, college students should know the words "sensational" and "diffuse."
Post by: Standing Wolf on March 18, 2007, 02:57:37 PM
Let me know if you don't have an E-mail message from me, eh?
Thanks,
Standing Wolf
Post by: Bob F. on March 18, 2007, 03:07:04 PM
School board member on TV: "We don't want no kid to not ride the bus."
Post by: Felonious Monk/Fignozzle on March 18, 2007, 05:05:10 PM
"Please allow myself to introduce...
...myself (?)"
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 05:05:57 PM
You mean AS mentioned above?
Post by: MattC on March 18, 2007, 06:40:09 PM
Post by: K Frame on March 18, 2007, 07:25:37 PM
Mike, "like" is actually more appropriate than "as" in my previous post. The posters previously did not state that I am irritated by mis-spoken cliches. They expressed their own irritation, and I commented that my feelings have a likeness to theirs. "Similar" would have been a more prescriptive word choice however, I am two generations into the the American culture where "like" is an acceptable and appropriate synonym for "similar."
Yeah, as if...
Sorry, but in that construction, the proper useage is as because it's being used to indicate correlation with a previous item as a example.
To extend it fully, your sentence could be reworded "For example, as mentioned above...."
But, you're right in that like is now so vernacular in non standard usages that it's become, like, you know, correct!
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 18, 2007, 07:29:56 PM
Post by: CAnnoneer on March 18, 2007, 08:38:10 PM
Post by: HankB on March 19, 2007, 04:11:07 AM
I'se dun sed my piece, so I be goin' now . . .
Post by: K Frame on March 19, 2007, 05:07:22 AM
There's a linguistic evolutionary dead end if ever there were one...