A loyal reader asks: Maybe I should be writing to Dr. Grammar or something. But I’ll give you a shot. Lately, I’ve been hearing people refer to themselves as ‘myself’ where I think it should be me or I. Is it just me?

Hey reader, funny you should mention Dr. Grammar. We love that guy.

Here, in fact, is what Dr. Grammar says:

According to The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style, “Myself is best used either reflexively (I have decided to exclude myself from consideration) or intensively (I myself have seen instances of that type). But myself shouldn’t appear as a substitute for I or me. Using it that way is thought somehow to be modest, as if the reference were less direct [emphasis added]. Yet it’s no less direct, and the user may unconsciously cause the reader or listener to assume an intended jocularity, or that the user is somewhat doltish.

He goes on. So if you’re interested, check it out.

Never use a reflexive pronoun in place of a standard personal pronoun. They are correctly used only in the reflexive or emphatic roles. The following sentences are incorrect:

Andrew and myself edited the document. (incorrect)
Megan drove Andrew and myself to the mall. (incorrect)

They should read:

Andrew and I edited the document. (correct)
Megan drove Andrew and me to the mall.  (correct)

Grammar Girl says that this question is in the top 20 sent to her show.

If this sort of thing interests you, you may want to subscribe to Get it Write tips.

Aren’t you glad you asked?

For great grammar and writing tips, you can also check out:

Webgrammar

Grammarcheck