Hisself? or Himself?
on Jan 28, 2012, Updated Apr 17, 2023
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Tell me you guys all know that HISSELF is another one of those words that’s not really a word, right?
I get HISSELF a lot from my college comp I students and I’m always floored. I didn’t know it even existed until I started teaching college classes.
However, now that I also have young children I can see where it comes from. That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable at all in my house. My children are gently corrected each time they use HISSELF and I will get less gentle in my corrections the older they get if it continues because HISSELF is an awful word. Delete it from your vocabulary if you use it. And for heaven’s sake, don’t include it in a formal paper you write for your English teacher!
And that’s the weekly 5 Minute Grammar Lesson. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
That does not grate my nerves nearly as much as the improper use of “Myself.” “Hisself” is street slang, and we’ve gotten so, um, not left behind that someone can get away with that all through high school. While ignorant, it is honest.
“Myself” is all too often used by someone who is stupid and wants to sound authoritative. “Bob and myself utilized the company vehicle to attend the Time Management Conference.” “When you finish the report hand it to myself.” “You need to meet with myself before you leave for the day.”
(“Let me reach over the boardroom table and choke you myself….”)
Haha! Myself, I have never heard that before… I’m guessing you had a super annoying boss yourself? 😉 Too funny.
It’s almost as bad as “themself”… Ugh!
Themself! ARGH!!
I’m awful when it comes to the English language. Yes it is the only one I know, and I’m still awful. Even I would know that Hisself is not a real word!! How could you even see it in writing and not think that it looks too wrong to be right?
I love your 5 minute grammar lessons. Thanks for sharing!
I love this site! Myself just came across it! (Ok – that was a funny!! hahahaha)
(There is no intent to start an argument, or even a debate. If I have offended you in anyway I apologize. Though this is an old post so I am not sure if this will even be read.)
I am not sure if I agree with you, regardless of whether or not it is proper or formal or whatever. I know I use a lot of words that are either improper, or outright slang. But, “”Hisself” is technically just an informal variant of Himself. It is used in various dialects of English, which according to the oracle…uh…I mean the Google, there are 160.
I know I am no English Professor, but I know that language evolves. Our language has changed A LOT, go back to the medieval era, and you will have a tough time understanding people, then there is old English which may as well be a completely different language. People create words, mix in loan words, slang becomes informal, the formal. Or, in the case of the word “Ain’t” was a proper contraction, then fell out of use and was stigmatized because someone I forget who, and it fell out of favor becoming a word associated with the uneducated. But, it is making a comeback, I think. I have noticed it used more and more on the net.
Basically languages evolve, definitions can, do, and will change. Along with how we write and speak, until humans are floating around our Galaxy in giant Star-ships like Arcs looking for planets to place settlements on. There may very well be a group of people having a near identical conversation.
This is just my opinion. Well not just mine, this isn’t the first time I have made similar response to a comment, blog, forum, etc etc. nor am I the only one. Oh ‘nor’ is another example of a word that can break the rules, and still be grammatically correct. Hell, I am not sure if anything I in this response is grammatically correct.
Again not wanting to argue/debate. I apologize if I am coming off as some pretentious jerk. This whole response is the product of boredom, but I think I am going to go to sleep now. Cheers! Stay Safe and Healthy out There. Sorry for the wall of Text…