A grammar rant, because I really just have to get it out.

[starrylizard]

I need to say this. It isn't actually aimed at anyone on my flist. It is aimed at the people at my workplace and on the TV who regularly get this one wrong. I just have to rant.

The use of "myself" in place of "me" is becoming prolific. It occurs regularly in public speaking, on the TV, in parliament and in my workplace. I cringe several times a day over this incorrect usage and I have no where else to rant about it, so:

PLEASE find out the correct use of the word "myself" and learn to use it only when appropriate. It is a reflexive pronoun. It need not replace the word "me" in the English language. It doesn't make you sound smarter. It only serves to make my ears bleed.

An example that I have happily stolen from Grammar Girl.

“Please contact Squiggly, Aardvark, or myself with questions.” Bzzzt, incorrect. Try again.

Let's dissect what's wrong with that sentence: "Please contact Squiggly, Aardvark, or myself with questions." The simplest way to think of it is like this: How would you say the sentence without Squiggly and the aardvark? Then it usually becomes obvious! You would say, “Please contact me with questions,” not, “Please contact myself with questions.” So when you add in Squiggly and the aardvark, that doesn't change anything. It's still correct to say, “Please contact Squiggly, aardvark, or me with questions.”

Thank you, Grammar Girl.

My grammar is rarely flawless, but I just needed a little rant here. When something starts to bug me, it really starts to bug me and this one is really bugging me. Hopefully now I won't say something career-limiting to my boss... or the HR manager (seriously though, the HR MANAGER *hands*) Heh.

That was cathartic.
*happy sigh* xx

Comments

[leavingslowly.livejournal.com]

I am so in agreement here. I see that all the time at work when people are trying to make themselves sound professional and it drives me nuts. That, and the way people use who / whom.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Every now and then I stop myself from sending out an email to #everyone with the above points in it. I'm sure people would not take kindly to my rants.

With whom vs who, I do see it misused on occasion. I tend to think, if you don't know the correct one to use, go with "who" and you'll be fairly safe. It offends fewer people. If you use "whom" incorrectly, though... that totally grates on my nerves. People do that around me, but not as often as the "myself" thing that has taken over the public service of late.

Common grammatical errors (http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/who.html) has a good test for whom vs who.

Try rewriting the sentence using “he” or “him.” Clearly “He bribed he” is incorrect; you would say “he bribed him.” Where “him” is the proper word in the paraphrased sentence, use “whom.”

Awesome! I love that site. It lives in my sidebar links permanently. :)

[reedfem.livejournal.com]

DH does the "myself" thing and it drives me crazy. I've learned not to correct him though, he gets an attitude about it.

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

In our household you get corrected every time whether you like it or not. :P