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Orson, I liked your bank account report - I enjoyed getting annoyed about the use of singular, plural stuff!


I had an irritating time earlier this week when on the phone to a Customer Services employee. He kept using 'yourself' rather than 'you' - 'I'll look for the relevant form and email it to yourself'. After three or four uses of this, I wanted to scream.

You often hear or read, for example

Myself and Fred went to the park.
What's wrong with
Fred and I went to the park?

I'm glad and a little relieved you feel that way, malone, because after posting this morning I thought I'm starting to come over as an old grouch and a bossy know-it-all. And my comments about apostrophes yesterday were meant generally; I would never patronise you like that.

There's a section every Saturday in The Times where readers can send in their comments on what has appeared in the newspaper. Shortly before Christmas I complained about a headline (on the front page no less) which began: "All we want for Christmas are..."
Consider: "All I ask is a tall ship and the stars to steer her by."
And: "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."
They agreed with me.

PS - I don't write in green ink!

I cringe at sports commentators who don't seem to know what an adverb is.
eg He hit that black ball a bit thick.

You done good there, rossim....

Malone/rossim - agreed on that annoying use of "yourself". And, noting rossim's point about "... and I", I'll add to the aaargh list its misuse. There are many people who think "...and me" is never correct, and use "... and I" even when the grammar demands "... and me".

And adverbs ... Those "Kiss me quick" hats have a lot to answer for.

SteveA6000, the I/me stuff (ie using the wrong one) has always bothered I (oops, me!). There was a recent Listener which featured 'between you and I'.

The groom’s speech— “on behalf of my wife and.. (pedants hold their breath) ......
I wrote it in large letters for my son.

It's so easy to get it right, too! If you are going to say "x and I/me", just mentally miss out the "x and" and see which of I or me sounds correct.