BS: Me, myself, and I

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 09:45 PM

The effect of bad grammar is frequently annoying, but when the bad grammer is an affect of a social or cultural bias it is truly offensive.

***

The most universal LIE in English is the use of the comparative "times more than."

If an original quantity is 5, then two times the original is 10.
Two times more than the original quantity is 15. Since the expression is used both ways (although rarely correctly) it is impossible to tell what is meant by it.

The usage was apparently "invented" by advertising LIARS who urged "use strong terms even if they're meaningless" but has crept into usage even by otherwise competent persons whose use shows them to be:

a. ILLITERATE IDIOTS whose entire arguments should be IGNORED, or

b. DELIBERATE LIARS whose entire piches should be IGNORED.

c. Persons lacking the most fundamental competence in basic arithmetic (i.e. a majority of the population) for whom the only appropriate response is sympathetic pity - while they are ignored.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: frogprince
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 07:45 PM

Sounds like maybe we is, Jeri. : )

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 07:38 PM

Whatever you do, don't forget that the subject of an infinitive is in the objective case.

He wants ME to make him a cherry pie.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 07:06 PM

You don't say "c'est je", but am us gonna get into French pedanticism now too?

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 06:44 PM

'In French, you have to say "it's me".'

Who told you that?

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 06:07 PM

In French, you have to say "it's me". So it's not an obvious matter of simple logic what form to use, it's just usage (whose usage?).

If there's something you need to say, think of the audience you are aiming at, and say it in a form which will be clear to them. Don't expect people to decode it using some set of rules you learned at school. If it's ambiguous to your audience, it's your fault and not theirs. You should have said it another way.

If on the other hand, you don't want to communicate with an audience, shut the f** up and everybody will be content.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: gnu
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 05:11 PM

I would think not, me.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:55 PM

Grishka, would you say "The cops arrested I"? I expect not. I expect you would say "The cops arrested me", therefore you should also say "The cops arrested Fred and me" (the cops were doing the arresting). On the other hand, it would be correct to say "I was the person the cops arrested" and "Fred and I were the people the cops arrested" (Fred and I were doing the "being arrested").

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: gnu
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:44 PM

It has come to my attention that grammar and punctuation have been tendered for consideration and discussion in such a manner that they may be considered, albeit perhaps only in my perception and in my interpretation, interchangable. I offer that there is a clear distinction which should be brought to bear in ensuing arguement herein, thereby adding clarity and also allowing reason and logic to be applied to each.

Udder n at, what e got n yer gob, me old cock?

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:37 PM

Colloquial language is fine with me; it is the speaker's and writer's responsibility to choose the adequate language level. My comment was about Rap's rule 2., which seems inconsistent to me. Rap ain't me husband.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:21 PM

my husband and I wpuld like to correct your grammar? Why because if you get rid of "my husband and" it has to be I would like to correct your grammar.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:09 PM

She, herself and her went out with me, myself and I,
And we ran into they, themselves and them down at the Y;
Then she, herself and her opined that he, himself and him
Should find a quiet corner to escape the dreadful din.
Well, the chamber slowly quietened, a hush fell on the room,
When we ourselves and us said "Yo! Please call us who and whom."

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: gnu
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:08 PM

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
OH NUTS it's just a satellite.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 03:01 PM

The cops arrested whom? Fred and me.
Those arrested were who? Fred and I. One of them was I.

"Me" as an answer for "who" is originally an erroneous adaptation from the French "moi"; now it seems to pass for colloquial language. I do not think the Queen would use it publicly; Prince Harry might.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 02:27 PM

y'all r takin this 2 serious. yule make yerselfs cray cray.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 02:24 PM

If I may, if I might, have the wish I wish tonight...

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 02:12 PM

Q, there is nothing wrong with "there go I".

Another grammar problem I often see is confusion between "may" and "might". If you say or write that something may have happened, this means that there is a real possibility that it did. Therefore statements beginning, for example, "Princess Diana may not have died" or "9/11 may have been prevented" are nonsense - "may" should be replaced with "might".

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 02:01 PM

Hey, Mike, good luck getting that one acrost, but me and the boys is cheering for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 01:36 PM

Digression-
Recently I posted the Billy Hill song, "The last Round-Up."
One verse is:
I'm heading for the last roundup
To the far away ranch of the Boss in the sky
Where the strays are counted and branded there go I
I'm heading for the last roundup.

Entries found on the net often end the third line 'there I go,' negating the rhyme. The word order seems to bother some people.

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Louie Roy
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 11:38 AM

My 1st grade teacher in 1930 at a country school taught us this little rhyme on I myself and me
I had a little tea party this afternoon at three. I invited everyone I knew I myself and me. It was I who ate the sandwiches It was I who drank the tea. It was also I who ate the pie and passed the cake to me

Subject: RE: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 11:19 AM

When I was in school, those distinctions were chiseled into the grammar boulder that sat in the classroom. Now it seems every kid has his iRock tablet where he/she makes up personal rules and teachers no longer have access.

(You shouldn't have told everyone that Mary & Susie were arrested with us in the raid. Now they'll never go out with us again!)

Subject: BS: Me, myself, and I
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 11:04 AM

After the one space, two space, red space, blue space thread I thought I bring this annoying mistake in grammar to your attention. Note well that this refers to active voice.

1. You use "I" before the predicate: I visited Mary. Fred and I visited Mary.

2. You use "me" after the predicate: That was me. The cops arrested Fred and me.

3. Use "myself" when bragging or confessing: I did it myself. Myself, alone.

Notice that in #1 and #2 "I" and "me" are used in a position secondary to the the name of the other person(s) involved: The cops arrested Fred, Mary, Susie, Bill and me in the raid.   Fred, Mary, Susie, Bill and I were arrested in the raid.

I hope that this is clear and that you will discontinue the use of bad grammar (which also makes you sound pretentious).

Thank you, and don't get me started on "its" and "it's".