[Closed] Myself and yourself

It happens so often now I don’t even notice it...

Myself I've not noticed it.

longer words are betterer, they make you sound clevererer or something

Though as an observation on email we are moving from conversational to more professional, certainly with chat tools available outside of email.

I saw that the other day and I literally exploded! 

I sometimes use big words I don’t understand to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

Thank god it’s not just me that’s losing the plot. I wonder how it started though? Did one person do it and others thought “shit, Dave’s using myself there. It looks wrong, but Dave knows his words. Best follow suit” and it all just went wrong from there.

I saw that the other day and I literally exploded

Were you in the "10 items or less" queue at the time?

Though as an observation on email we are moving from conversational to more professional, certainly with chat tools available outside of email.

Just to clarify for myself, was that an observation of email based communication, or was it an observation expressed and sent within an email?

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<div class="bbp-reply-author">tomhoward
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I sometimes use big words I don’t understand to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

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I think we can forgive your contrafibularities.

yeah no, me personally I've not noticed that at this point in time.

make myself sound more photosynthesis

Leaf it out.

Just to clarify for myself, was that your observation on email based communication, or was it an observation expressed and sent within an email?

Yeah comma missing in there somewhere!! By reading and observing email 😉 perhaps we are now trying to differentiate when we are using a keyboard

I think it started in call centres as a way of speaking posh by low wage handlers in a warehouse office on an industrial site on a Liecester ring road

"how would yourself like to pay..."

Its bloody ubiquitous these days

Used by an accounts chap this afternoon to me to confirm his lack of competence. Tooth enamel started to itch in my mouth!

I think that abuse of reflexive pronouns must be taught on sales courses.

Irish love using it - "awk it's himself it is"

Not saying that makes it ok. Just, you know, the irish are leaders in this type of thing.

The use of “perfect” pisses me right off

It's at its worst when combined with the superfluous 'at all'. As in "would you like some dessert for yourself at all?".

I reckon it’s the influence of Father Ted...

“Hello, is that yourself there now?”

The use of “perfect” pisses me right off

Whereas it made myself tense.

I reckon it’s the influence of Father Ted…

“Hello, is that yourself there now?”

If if that’s true then all is forgiven. Ted can do no wrong

"I myself" who else would it be?

Joan Armatrading made it tuneful though, "Me, Myself, I"

Can’t say I’ve noticed this trend.

Is it industry biased ?

My favourite example of this is “If you have any questions, please contact ourselves”

It's rife where I work too.

to me to confirm his lack of competence

Very much this.

But I'm afraid it's been done (by me, but not by myself 🙂 )

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/reflexive-pronoun-abuse/

Ooh, I've got one. One that has proliferogated itself into communications lately (even in the nice English magazine paper Singletrack! I know I know, he's a bloody Australian) - prefixing a word with SUPER. Oh I'm SUPER Excited oh that's SUPER interesting. Piss off! You're not from the pissing VALLEY. Use that nice word that begins with F like most normal ****ing Brits do. I'd be ****ing appreciative. Thanks.

(Bing-bong.)
ARTHUR (into cabin address): Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, our onboard transit process today has now reached its ultimate termination.
CAROLYN: He means we’ve landed.
ARTHUR: Yes. So, as yourselves prepare for disemboarding, if I could kindly ask you to kindly ensure you retain all your personal items about your person throughout the duration of the disembarkation.
CAROLYN: He means take your stuff with you.
ARTHUR: In concluding, it’s been a privilege for ourselves to conduct yourselves through the in-flight experience today, and I do hope you’ll re-favour ourselves with the esteem of your forth-looking custom going forward.
CAROLYN: … No idea.

From  http://www.cabinpressurefans.co.uk/cabin-pressure-episode-transcripts/johannesburg-transcript/

Cabin Pressure!

Bloody marvellous!

At my place of work I’m receiving emails (both internal and external) where people have started using myself and yourself in place of me or you.

It's a common turn of phrase around here (west Midlands). Often in conjunction with 'yourselves' when there's more than one of you lol

Now imagine the whole thing mangled up with the Black Country vernacular

Also see ‘gifting’ and ‘gifted’ instead of giving/gave. Piss boiling nonsense.

"Myself and X" is up there with "Me and X" in shoddy use of English. It's also part of the trend for using three words where one would suffice and sits alongside "we are landing into Manchester" and "Reaching out" instead of "contacting" and a lot of other superfluity.

DezB - the use of super in that context has been going on for ages in motorcycle racing (probably other forms of motorsport/sport) also.

Mostly by Europeans who's first language isn't English, doing an interview in English. Although the Aussies and Yanks also like to have a go and are usually 'Super stoked' about it...

And, the use of "awesome" to describe anything remotely positive.

Me: "How was the pasty-looking chicken wrap-thing that was in the reduced section of the fridge at Boots?"

Other: "It was totally awesome!"

Me: "Pass me my baseball bat, would you?"

I sometimes use big words I don’t understand to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

I is cleverer. I sometimes use did words I dont understand to make myself sound more non-cyclic photophosphorylation.

Use that nice word that begins with F like most normal * Brits do. I’d be * appreciative. Thanks.

and

Mostly by Europeans who’s first language isn’t English, doing an interview in English.

my experience is the complete opposite. Exhibit A, my friend from university, and exhibit B, Amaury Pierron; having only used English in informal settings, they drop the F bomb in totally inappropriate situations not realising that its a 'bad word' in english.

the use of super in that context has been going on for ages in motorcycle racing 

So bleedin what? Let it stay in motorcycle racing thankyouverymuch!

Uncomparable adjectives (those that shouldn't have -er or -est endings applied) and ordinarily cannot be intensified, are becoming more and more loosly defined, daily in print you can see:

The room is quite unique.

Largely impossible to prosecute

Of all the art forms, dance is the most universal.

and so on.

Copy editing, clearly a dying skill..

I've noticed that the same people no longer have a thought or an idea instead they have an epiphany.

I’ve noticed that the same people no longer have a thought or an idea instead they have an epiphany.

Sounds painful 😉

"somewhat Unique" - not acceptable

"almost unique" - passable but I would use the term "rare" instead.

It's the mark of an absolute thickhead trying to sound more intelligent than they are. Despite it marking them out as even bigger thickheads than they think they are. It makes me want to pummel them in the face (despite being someone who's pretty relaxed with people's use of grammar and English), and I instantly lose any respect I may have had for supposedly intelligent people who use myself and yourself incorrectly.

DezB - I fully agree, just pointing out it's not a new phenomenon. It boils my... etc etc...

Edit:  Should I use myself in this context to sound more photochromatic? 🙂

“almost unique” – passable but I would use the term “rare” instead.

Nah, it's just bad grammar. The definition of unique is "one of a kind" it either is or isn't.

Me: “How was the pasty-looking chicken wrap-thing that was in the reduced section of the fridge at Boots?”

Other: “It was totally awesome!”

Me: “Pass me my baseball bat, would you?”

"Pass myself my baseball bat", surely?

The definition of unique is “one of a kind” it either is or isn’t.

If there are only two of a kind are they binique?

I think the problem is that people generally don't fully understand grammar and therefore don't understand when reflexive pronouns can be used so they use them instead of normal pronouns.

(full disclosure - I had to look up the rules as I don't fully understand them, but I do know when not to use them)

As this is a problem perpetuated by office workers, and as office workers love a notice, perhaps someone should print out a copy of the OED definition of reflexive pronouns and put it up in the office kitchen.

The definition of unique is “one of a kind” it either is or isn’t.

True, but definitions are changed by usage over time.

ransos, sure of course, but Unique has a meaning that hasn't changed, as surroundedbyhills qualifies, "rare" is correct. The problem isn't changing definitions, it's that lots of these sort of adjectives sound OK to the ear with an intensifier "more delicious" for example; combined with people not understanding the grammar rules. Ignorance (not in the pejorative sense) not the relentless modification of words is the problem here

Nah, it’s just bad grammar. The definition of unique is “one of a kind” it either is or isn’t.

It could be unique in some ways but not others.

I just assume it's something people have picked up from watching The Apprentice.

ransos, sure of course, but Unique has a meaning that hasn’t changed, as surroundedbyhills qualifies, “rare” is correct.

Decimate also has a specific meaning - to kill or punish 10%.

It could well be the case that over time, just as "decimate" came to mean "devastate", "unique" comes to mean  "unusual" rather than "one of a kind". It does grate, though!

Something which annoys me, frequently noticed in teenagers and young adults. A sentence is prefaced by 'To be honest,... Do I assume that everything else you say to me is lies?

ooohhh, grammar pedantry...

sirromj, still "just" unique, Say you have a bright orange diamond, it's the only bright orange one, but it's one of many diamonds, its not uniquer than any other diamond, or the uniquest among a subset of coloured diamonds.

Decimate has always had 2 meanings: To take a tenth, from Decimatus; to tythe, appearing some time after the Romans and applied retrospectively to their habit of punishing one in ten soldiers. Or to destroy over a wide area. Even Websters (the Ford Fiesta of dictionaries) puts the two meanings as emerging at about the same time (1530-1600). The first recorded mention of the word just refers to Tything and nothing to do with killing people.. I take your point though, it did just refer for a bit to the Roman practice (mostly because of dusty old classics scholars) and over time, the other meaning as become as common if not more so, but it was always there, hovering in the background.

 I take your point though, it did just refer for a bit to the Roman practice (mostly because of dusty old classics scholars) and over time, the other meaning as become as common if not more so, but it was always there, hovering in the background.

I suspect it was because it had a specific meaning in Latin, so as you say, classics scholars tried to apply it to English. See also: split infinitives.

"if you would like to purchase any duty free items for yourselves, we will be passing through the cabin shortly.."  That really winds Mrs JBP up.

I think this happens when people feel that the shorter form sounds a bit blunt, particularly where they are trying sell you something. I first became conscious of this when a "flight attendant"/air hostess/trolley dolly said, "Would you like any Pringles at all?", then added "yourself" after the briefest of pauses. Obviously this is something they are encouraged to push and she wanted to sound casual rather than desperate.

Surely the word she was looking for there was "sir"?

you should have replied and said - "how much would yourself charge myself for yourselves's Pringles?"

Anyway(s) headed / heading 🤬

Have you been here before at all?

“almost unique” – passable but I would use the term “rare” instead.

Nah, it’s just bad grammar.

Umm, it's bad diction - surely...

ransos, sure of course, but Unique has a meaning that hasn’t changed, as surroundedbyhills qualifies, “rare” is correct.

it troubles me that the OED offers (and cites precedent), along with chunterable entries for "literally" and "refute", the following for "unique":

Use in the comparative and superlative and with modification by words such as absolutely, fairly, quite, thoroughly, very, etc., has been criticized on the grounds that an adjective meaning ‘that is the only one of its kind’ should not be not gradable, but in many contexts this meaning is not readily distinguishable from the extended use.

With modifying expression and in the comparative and superlative.</h3>

1740   G. Vertue Descr. Four Anc. Paintings 3   As this Conceit is in some Measure unique, so the whole Appearance of their Apparel, and Richness of their Jewels, Furs, and Habit, bespeaks their Royal Dignity.

Sounds painful

Not if you use proper anaesthetic.

I use myself and yourself sometimes, quite intentionally- I know it's not correct but sometimes it just sounds really nice.