Me, myself and I

[emsr2d2]

Courtesy of Analytical Grammar (Facebook page).

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

One of my American English pet peeves: people who use "myself" because they're not sure whether to say "I" or "me":

- Myself and Renee ate at Crackerbarrel last night.
- No one got the flu but myself and my boss.
- No one wanted to try midnight zip-lining but myself.

Instead of being wrong half the time, they're wrong all the time. I just don't get it.

 

[rohanasm]

What about telling us the right version??

 

[Raymott]

Why not tell us what you think it would be?

edit: Oh, they've gone already.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

What about telling us the right version??

I'm with Raymott: Can you figure out what the right words are?

 

[rohanasm]

According to the given rule, I would say "I" in all three examples. Without reading the rules, I would "naturally" say "I" in the first sentence and "me" in the other two. Would love to hear the correct version and of course the reason.

 

[GoesStation]

- Myself and Renee ate at Crackerbarrel last night.
- No one got the flu but myself and my boss.
- No one wanted to try midnight zip-lining but myself.

According to the given rule, I would say "I" in all three examples. Without reading the rules, I would "naturally" say "I" in the first sentence and "me" in the other two. Would love to hear the correct version and of course the reason.

I is grammatically correct in number 1, but it's a very strong convention to say Renee and I, not the other way around.

Only me works in 2 and 3.

 

[Raymott]

Putting 'me' after 'but' when strictly it should be 'I' is also a very strong convention.
- "No one but my boss and I got the flu." "Me got the flu"?
- "No one but I wanted to try midnight zip-lining."

Here 'I' is part of the subject, "No one but I". However, if expressed as in the original, I would say 'me'.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is it not 'No one (but/except/except for/with the exception of me) was hurt' in which 'me' is the object of the preceding preposition(al phrase)?

You're right, a sentence like that is a bear.

Since, for different reasons, neither "me" or "I" works very well there, a lot of people just rephrase with something like "I was the only one hurt."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Putting 'me' after 'but' when strictly it should be 'I' is also a very strong convention.
- "No one but my boss and I got the flu." "Me got the flu"?
- "No one but I wanted to try midnight zip-lining."

Here 'I' is part of the subject, "No one but I". However, if expressed as in the original, I would say 'me'.

You wouldn't get locked up for it.