But then there's always the risk and worry about dropping whatever we're reading into the tub (which hasn't happened in years, thank goodness). Perhaps investing in one of these Cheviot Clawfoot Bathtub Caddy With Reading Racks might be worth considering for serious hands-free, safe tub reading. Made of chrome, brass or brushed nickel, and will fit tub widths from 27" wide up to 37.5" for $75 (ouch, we'll just keep our balancing act going for now).
i got a similar one, without the reading easel, from ikea and usually just lean my book against a dry rolled up washcloth.
I'm sorry to carp, but this is my pet peeve.
Your post should read:
Are you a bathtub reader like ME?
I know you hear "myself" used in place of "me" all the time, but it's a grammatical mistake called an over-correction. People are so afraid of saying "me" instead of "I" that they've decided "myself" is the safest bet. But it actually makes you sound uneducated (or at least mis-educated).
Please, AT editors and readers, help me stamp this out before it takes over!
For those who care: Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of the sentence are the same.
I gave MYSELF a pedicure. The subject (I) is the same person as the object of the verb (myself).
She gave ME a pedicure.
(The subject is not the same person as the object, so you use the object pronoun, not the reflexive pronoun.)
Are you (subject) a reader like me (object). See?
The reflexive pronoun can also be used for emphasis: She did it herself.
(The herself isn't grammatically necessary, but it implies added meaning--that she had no help.)
I hope this doesn't sound pointlessly picky...maybe one reader will be converted today.
Thanks.
Actually `, it's "I" not "me."
If you can add an "am" to the end of the sentence, it's always "I." I could go into all the reasons for this, but I'm a copy editor and I fix this mistake everyday. So if you're going to "carp" just please know what you're talking about.
Haha, I love it! Grammar Therapy: The Cure.
Thank you both...I'd rather be nitpicked and corrected rather than remain ignorant of my mistake. Normally, my copy editing girlfriend catches these mistakes whether for "me", "myself" or "I"...but this one slipped past us all.
Stand By "Me"
Actually, Marty, they're BOTH right. Beware of grammar rules that include the word "always." English is seldom that simple.
Generally, pronouns following "as" take the nominative case. "Like" is often used in place of "as," the reasoning goes, so some sticklers insist on, "She's like I." (Your "If you can add 'am'..." rule of thumb.)
The problem is, nobody actually talks that way. So grammarians dug up another handy rule: Pronouns following prepositions take the objective case. Many grammarians argue that "like" functions as a preposition in the context we're discussing. Voila! Now it's okay to say, "She's like me." Grammar evolves...and the preposition-object advocates seem to be winning this argument.
Bottom line: "Are you a reader like me?" is acceptable usage AND "Are you a reader like I am?" is acceptable, too. But "Are you a reader like I," however correct, is just plain awkward. I can't believe your publisher prefers it.
A quick check of today's paper will probably yield both "me" and "I" constructions (despite the best efforts of copy editors), but "like me" will predominate. And that's not because it's a popular mistake; there IS a grammatical justification for it.
Of course, language is constantly changing. In a few more years, "Are you a reader like myself" will probably be perfectly acceptable, too. Sigh.
PS: Marty, I'm assuming "everyday" was a typo. Cuz you know the difference, right?