Okay...maybe this is a sign I'm finally slipping over the edge...

Why is it that every third person on television these days (and unfortunately also in meetings of the the two new boards on which I now serve) misuses the word "myself"?

They were very clear when I was growing up..."myself" is a reflexive pronoun used as the object in a sentence ONLY when the word to which the pronoun (usually an actual or implied "I"--unless you are Bob Dole, and then it's "Bob Dole") refers is the subject of the sentence.

For example:

"I am going to rip myself a new one if I don't start staying within my budget."

OR

"I was very proud of myself when I didn't cry in front of the jerk when he broke up with me."

OR

"Don't wanna live...all by myself...all by myself, anymore."

Instead...
Why do so many people insist on saying things like:

"Those crazy Republicans would be tarring and feathering the other homos like myself if they could."

"When Billy decided to enter the monastery, he promised to give his hot leather pants to Butch and the vest to myself."

"The big difference between those liberals and myself, is that they don't take large contributions from polluters."


I think sometimes that people use the word thinking it sounds more sophisticated than "me"...or maybe some think that it is somehow LESS self-important than the more 'in your face' "me" or "I."

Unfortunately, and this is an indictment of me...it makes me think they are uneducated or not too bright.

More than any other, this grammatical faux pas du jour drives me up a tree.

Sorry...I just had to get this off of my chest...

Clearly I really need my vacation.