When we were house hunting, I happened to look at a wall calendar in one kitchen. Written in one square was “John and I’s Anniversary” - I shuddered and moved on.
Weeks later, it still haunts me. OK, so maybe “haunt” is a bit strong a term, but I have thought about it since then. I don’t have a grammar book near at hand, so I ask the local experts: What’s the correct way to say it?
John and my anniversary
John’s and my anniversary
John and mine’s anniversary
Our anniversary
I think “John’s and my” is how it should have been written, using the “break 'em apart and say it” rule.
I’ve seen similar misusage such as: “He paid for John and I’s dinner”
Come - share the ones that make you shake your head.
Eep. What a convoluted construction. Why on earth would you not simply write “Our anniversary”? Even the “correct” usage of “John’s and my” is incredibly stilted.
I’ve always disliked the expression "on behalf of so-and-so and myself . . . " - on behalf of yourself?? Who speaks that way? (Mind you, I’m not sure this expression is technically grammatically incorrect, but it’s grating.)
Ahem. It’s not really any problem of you or me, that is.
I seem to be having trouble with mine grammar today. This has been a big problem of me lately.
I’ve been reading Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynn Truss. It is a wonderful book for all of us grammar freaks.
One of my co-workers engraved “The Trumbull’s” on a clock the other day. I asked her if she had explained to the customer that it was incorrect, and she shrugged and said that she had, but that is what they wanted.
“If it doesn’t bother them, why does it bother you?” she asked.
“Because it is wrong, and they are giving the clock to someone else who may know that it is wrong, and it may bug them so much that they will bring it in to be changed. Since we engrave directly on that clock, not on a removable plate, we will have to take the loss on that clock and give them a new one, and that costs the company money, and that is why you cannot get that raise you are asking for,” I replied.
“But that’s what they wanted,” she whined.
“No,” I said, “you are the expert. You are to tell them what they want, and what they want is properly punctuated engraving.”
She rolled her eyes at me and walked away.
And by the way, I agree with Ghanima. We can only hope that everyone calls Irene “I” for short.
OED says you can use ‘mine’ instead of ‘my’ before a vowel or quiet ‘h’, so wouldn’t “John and mine anniversery” be correct? For some reason I’m tempted to pu ‘mine’ first, but I know I shouldn’t.
Gah! Whenever I see things like that, I wonder why the engravers or the sign painters (or whatever) didn’t catch the customer’s mistake, and it bothers me that much more to think of all the people who saw the object in production and didn’t know that it was wrong. Now I know they just don’t care! Aiiiieeee! :mad:
“If it doesn’t bother them, why does it bother you?”
Perhaps my most irksome pet peeve is that in so many places, the people who have the least command of the English language, spelling, grammar and punctuation are in charge of making signs.
Surely, if one is charged with the responsibility of engraving inscriptions and names on expensive gift items, it is up to that person to use the language as intended, despite the level of literacy of any other person who may see it - the customer, the recipient, anyone!
If I was asked to make an engraving that came to me with misspellings or apostrophes where none belong, I would correct them…if only to make a point that this is what the person wanted to say, as opposed to what they wanted me to put there. If they complained, I would merely tell them that if English is the only language we have, it is my job to use it responsibly. If they want examples of illiteracy engraved on something for all time, they need to patronize a less discriminating service.
What’s worse is when we have to engrave long, self-written poems that are so horribly phrased and punctuated and change tenses in mid-stream that I want to scream. I correct the spelling, unless they’ve done something intentionally “cute” (ARGHHHHH!)and as much of the grammar as I think I can get away with, but sometimes people are extremely touchy about their creative output and feel that changing one tiny thing will somehow destroy the truth of the sentiment. I try to go over any changes with them ahead of time, if they are my customer, so that there will be no surprises, but sometimes it’s not possible.
We won’t even discuss the actual content of some of these atrocities.
Things like that bug the crap out of me because I have spent so many years tutoring, proofreading, teaching English and assessing English placement tests. It’s such a part of my nature that I can’t stop noticing errors.
My cousin once said “My husband and my’s”…and I cringed.
Amen! At my alma mater, every fall signs would be hung on the dorms to welcome the incoming freshmen. The signs said:
Hill Hall "Welcomes You"
:smack:
Now, I noticed this when I was an incoming freshman. You would think - would think - that someone at a university - an institution of higher learning, fercryinoutloud! - would know how to punctuate a sign! Aaaaargh!
Can you tell that this is a pet peeve of mine?
