the both

[beats me]

Why are we hearing "the both of them" all the time, all of a sudden. As far as I know, the word "the" is unnecessary and sounds stupid used with "both". Where does this come from? Is it just a fad or what??? They could say "the two of them" and that would be fine or "both of them", but "THE BOTH" is just wrong wrong wrong.

[matilda]

we NEVER say the both of them. we ALWAYS say: both of them.

[Coffa]

we NEVER say the both of them. we ALWAYS say: both of them.

It's a very common dialect usage. For example, in the Irish dialect of English, a speaker would invariably say, for example: "Ah, a plague on the both of them!"

[matilda]

It's a very common dialect usage. For example, in the Irish dialect of English, a speaker would invariably say, for example: "Ah, a plague on the both of them!"

as i underestood, it is not british. this form is irish! (as you said)

[riverkid]

This is a commonly used collocation that, I suspect, is found in all dialects of English. It sounds perfectly natural to me and it certainly isn't wrong.

It is more emphatic than "both of [object pronoun]"

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[Tdol]

I hear it used in BrE, though I think it would mostly be a colloquial usage- I don't think it would be used formally.