# Maybe It's Just Me But... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 1, 2004, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697 "2004-04-01T09:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sisyphus\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sisyphus\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sisyphus_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/1 "2004-04-01T09:22:21Z")
What does this phrase add to an observation following? Does it portend a terribly original, creative and pithy comment? Is it a pre-qualification of a wild-arsed, out-in-left-field personal opinion? Is it meant to be dismissed as a furphy? Should it be accorded its own acronym as a commonly used cliche (MIJMB)? Is it an exercise in false humility? Does it really mean anything (actually- another overused cliche)? Bugger me for a doughnut, I’m mystified. ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/2 "2004-04-01T13:31:40Z")
mmmmmmm…doughnut… ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/3 "2004-04-01T14:01:47Z")
So, let me get this straight … do I have to PAY you a doughnut for the privilege of buggering you, or do you reward ME with a doughnut after I bugger you? Because, you know, there’s quite a difference between the two, and I won’t be able to plan out my buggering activities until I find out which it is. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/4 "2004-04-01T18:00:11Z")
When I use it, I either mean, “I recognize that my views on this topic are somewhat idiosyncratic,” or I’m being ironic, and what follows is something that should be completely obvious to anyone. But, maybe that’s just me . . . ---
**Author:** ![Limbo\_Donni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Limbo\_Donni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limbo_Donni)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/5 "2004-04-01T19:46:32Z")
It’s another way to say IMHO. And strictly yes, it’s unnecessary, since every utterance of every person is their own opinion and of course they can’t know for sure it’s not just them. So, ultimately, logically, it’s an empty phrase. But many people don’t realize how often they u ---
**Author:** ![Limbo\_Donni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Limbo\_Donni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limbo_Donni)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/6 "2004-04-01T19:48:53Z")
It’s another way to say IMHO. And strictly yes, it’s unnecessary, since every utterance of every person is their own opinion and of course they can’t know for sure it’s not just them. So, ultimately, logically, it’s an empty phrase. But many people don’t realize how often they use a specific phrase. One friend of mine uses “Go ahead and…” in front of every instuction, and will come up with things like “Go ahead and go back there.” Another always starts off with “Truth be told…” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/7 "2004-04-02T08:50:53Z")
I don’t know what it _should_ mean, but every time I hear it, it is invariably followed by an observation which makes me go, “yes, it _is_ just you.” ---
**Author:** ![RotorHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@RotorHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RotorHead)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-its-just-me-but/237697/8 "2004-04-02T14:16:01Z")
I find myself using that phrase mainly in the latter of the senses that **Podkayne** mentioned, i.e. “MIJMB, I always thought the sun rises in the east…”