# Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer & I using the Dope on the same computer... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 17, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311 "2008-08-17T19:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kim\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@Kim\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/21 "2008-08-25T23:05:21Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Well, if you want to be really nitpicky, it should be the possessive form, i.e.: _Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer &_ **my** _using the Dope on the same computer?_ However, that looks so bad that you might want to redraft, e.g.: _Can both Mrs. Rhymer & I use the Dope on the same computer?_ [/QUOTE] Why are you attacking my husband’s grammar? He didn’t do anything to you and he didn’t do anything but write the way people speak. Please stop! ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@Kim\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/22 "2008-08-25T23:09:28Z")
[QUOTE=Kim the Rhymer] Why are you attacking my husband’s grammar? He didn’t do anything to you and he didn’t do anything but write the way people speak. Please stop! [/QUOTE] Ignore the above. My husband assures me you guys are just being playful. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/23 "2008-08-26T00:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Well, if you want to be really nitpicky, it should be the possessive form, i.e.: _Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer &_ **my** _using the Dope on the same computer?_ [/quote] Not if you don’t force the possessive. "Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer? “Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer using the Dope?” "Is there any problem with me? “Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer and/or me using the Dope?” Avoid the possessive and it sounds better, IMHO. The minute you use “my using…” you have to match the other name, too. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/24 "2008-08-26T02:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Kim the Rhymer] Ignore the above. My husband assures me you guys are just being playful. [/QUOTE] Welcome to the jungle, the beast is yet to come. Glad to have you, we’ve heard many good things about you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/25 "2008-08-26T03:29:31Z")
We nitpick here: That’s what we do. The fact that we’re nitpicking small, insignificant things about **Skald** is an indicator that we don’t have any big things to nitpick about him. This is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/26 "2008-08-26T15:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=Kim the Rhymer] he didn’t do anything but write the way people speak. [/QUOTE] That’s many folks’ first mistake. Just playing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/27 "2008-08-26T15:05:09Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] We nitpick here: That’s what we do. The fact that we’re nitpicking small, insignificant things about **Skald** is an indicator that we don’t have any big things to nitpick about him. This is a good thing. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: you can’t really nitpick big things. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/28 "2008-08-26T15:08:10Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] We nitpick here: That’s what we do. The fact that we’re nitpicking small, insignificant things about **Skald** is an indicator that we don’t have any big things to nitpick about him. This is a good thing. [/QUOTE] Thank you, Chronos. If you go to the location we previously discussed, you will find your cats, mostly unharmed. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/29 "2008-08-26T15:14:31Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] Nitpick: you can’t really nitpick big things. [/QUOTE] Well, they seem like big things to us nit-pickers 🙂 (But I long ago stopped correcting people’s grammar, unless: 1. They explicitly ask for advice, or 2. Someone else starts the nitpicking, as in this case.) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311/30 "2008-08-26T19:42:22Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Well, if you want to be really nitpicky, it should be the possessive form, i.e.: _Is there any problem with Mrs. Rhymer &_ **my** _using the Dope on the same computer?_ [/QUOTE] To enlarge a bit on what **Musicat** wrote, it also depends whether you construe “using” as a gerund or part of a participial phrase. Those two choices have different shades of meaning, and the writer must decide which one he/she wishes to use. Welcome aboard, Kim! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-problem-with-mrs-rhymer-i-using-the-dope-on-the-same-computer/460311.md?page=1)