I just don't understand why people have embraced this "Me & him went to the mall" crap. When did "me" become a subject in a sentence? Does it annoy any of you?

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Featur...vies&gt1=27004

It is just another step in the breaking down of the English language. Does it surprise you? One would think that people would be proud of their language and use it correctly.

I think it is just a symptom of a bigger problem - the education system. My husband is proctoring a math course at a local high school for a local university - the woman they have teaching the high school portion of the math has a degree in Home Ec. and Education....how on earth does that prepare someone to teach college level calculus?

We don't take pride in anything substantial anymore. Being educated isn't cool. Speaking properly isn't cool. Most of what schools teach these days is a joke and with every day that passes without change is another day that these kids slip further and further away.

What bothers me is the too frequent use of "myself". I think people are afraid to say "me" incorrectly in a sentence and substitute "myself" instead. "Me" is an acceptable word in the right place.

I so agree with both of you. We've allowed the "dumbing down" of America. This "no child left behind" debacle is just that. A debacle! Teachers are no longer allowed to teach. They have to "teach to the test" which is all in the name of funding. Geez. We wonder why so many from other countries are better educated.

It drives me crazy as well. And the misuse of seen. "I seen him at the store yesterday." Gaaah!

cringe

"I says" instead of "I said". My mom drives me nuts with that, and she is very educated and used to be a teacher! Sometimes habits just develop anyway, I guess.

I heard a TEACHER from what I thought was a decent school district here say "irregardless" on the news last night.

A TEACHER!

My DH sometimes says "hows come" and I give him the inquisition every time he says it. He hasn't said it in a while.

I wondered where an intelligent man with an advanced degree ever got a phrase like that. I found out over Thanksgiving that he got it from his mother, who had a daycare out of her home for years. She uses kid language a lot.

I cringe to think of him in a meeting with engineers and builders (he's an architect) saying, "Hows come..."

And it's not just talking. Writing.... no one seems to know where to use its vs. it's or that an apostrophe doesn't belong in a plural word, only a possessive. Makes me want to scream!! And those who write that they need "to loose weight." Or that they want to "weight less." It really annoys me too that I mispronounciations places like NPR news or in an audiobook!

ETA: even though I wrote loose in the "to lose weight" example above, the board apparently corrected it! It must feel the same way about improper word use.

It annoys me way more when people use "I" when they should use "me."
It's ok to say ME, people !
Use "I" when the word is the subject, use "me" when the word is an object.

Please come with my wife and me (NOT my wife and I !!)
This is a perfect gift for Billy and me. (NOT Billy and I !!)
There was a problem between my friend and me (NOT my frined and I !!)

easy way to tell if you're doing the right thing is to take out the other person. For example, you wouldn't say, "Please come with I," you would say, "Please come with me."

The new Secretary of Education just made this type of mistake in his speech this week and I cringed big time. He's a wonderful guy, but that was a glaring error.

ok, I'm off my soapbox. thank you.

Oh, boy. YOU AND I SERIOUSLY NEED TO CHAT! As a former educator myself and now a mother of two, I agree with what you have written. My children have been attending Chinese schools for three years now. We are currently deciding what our next step will be in educating our children in a society that discourages learning.

HiHoHiHo, stop mincing words and tell us how you really feel.

I find myself stopping my grands for speaking in mid sentence to have them correct their own sentence.

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one.

Oh this thread is singing my song.

So many things that drive me crazy. And don't even get me started on text-speak.

My three biggest pet peeves:
your/you're
their/there/they're
and "of" instead of "have" - as in could of, might of, should of.

.

Or how about "the reason is because... " instead of "the reason is that... "

Or to/too/two

Principal/principle, stationary/stationery and capitol/capital I'm a little more willing to willing to overlook as they're not used as much. But I saw on a thread earlier today that someone loved Miracle Whip but couldn't spell it! Go look at your jar!

LOL, or how about just "because?"