Educate me!

[SweetErika]

Sometimes I come across a term, word choice or activity that leaves me utterly confounded, and I'm hoping you can shed some light on it. Others are most welcome to ask about the things they're curious about too.

Today's confusion is caused by: "Himself" (or "Herself" though I don't recall seeing that before)

Some pyls seem to use this in reference to their PYLs, e.g. "Himself likes me to be waiting at the door naked when Himself gets home from work."

I don't get why "Himself" is any more honorable/preferable than "He" or "My Master/Sir/Lord/Grand Poobah/Whatever," or why some people have chosen it as a title. That is, is there some kind of history behind it, or source for it?

I've only seen one or two Litsters use it in old posts, but I've seen it on other sites and figured someone here probably knows its origins.


To be clear, this thread is not intended to be a criticism of anyone's choices, it's to increase knowledge and satisfy curiosities.

 

[BiBunny]

Maybe some people are really attached to possessive pronouns? I don't know. I'm not knocking anyone's choice in titles, but the English major in me just goes batty when I see that particular usage.

 

[Masterrobyitaly]

dunno why but i find it sweet...

 

[Chicklet]

it's a big pet peeve of mine when people use words inappropriately (omg i mangled that word didn't i)

i generally try to block those kinds of things out. ugh.

 

[catalina_francisco]

The only way I have heard it used is in mainstream dialoge, usually a tongue in cheek sort of reference to someone you know well, with a slight touch of sarcastic humour often applied. I certainly never heard of it as an honorific term and would suspect some might take issue with it being used if they were familiar with or aware of the more common way of using it.

Catalina

 

[SweetErika]

Yeah, it always hurts my head and makes me want to go back to make sure I read it correctly. Maybe emphasizing via odd usage is the point, though?

I just know I'd never instruct my sub to call me "Herself" or anything else that wasn't grammatically sound.

And, Chicklet, you're right on with "inappropriately."

 

[Ebonyfire]

Actually I could care less what people call each other. Whatever floats your boat. I know what I am called, and that is good enough for Me.

 

[SweetErika]

The only way I have heard it used is in mainstream dialoge, usually a tongue in cheek sort of reference to someone you know well, with a slight touch of sarcastic humour often applied. I certainly never heard of it as an honorific term and would suspect some might take issue with it being used if they were familiar with or aware of the more common way of using it.

Catalina

Yeah, I've heard that too - it's a bit like saying "Would His Majesty/Highness like potatoes or rice with dinner?" in my mind.

However, I don't think humor/sarcasm is the intent when some people use it to refer to their PYL because that's the ONLY way they ever refer to them. I suppose it could be an inside joke for the couple, but I get the impression that's not the case.

I'd just never come up with having my sub call me "Herself" in a million years, so I have to wonder if there's something that kicked off the expression with those who use it.

Or, as Masterrob implied, why people find it appealing.

 

[SweetErika]

Actually I could care less what people call each other. Whatever floats your boat. I know what I am called, and that is good enough for Me.

Well, for me it's not about what people call each other (and, again, I do NOT want this thread to turn into a place to ridicule others' choices), it's just a curiosity relating to this title in particular because it doesn't mesh with what I know of the English language. I find the history/origins of such things very interesting.

 

[Ebonyfire]

Well, for me it's not about what people call each other (and, again, I do NOT want this thread to turn into a place to ridicule others' choices), it's just a curiosity relating to this title in particular because it doesn't mesh with what I know of the English language. I find the history/origins of such things very interesting.

People like to play with the english language and these labels have nothing to do with literature or language. I think it is more about how people feel when they use the labels they have invented.

 

[Etoile]

I've always found that one especially bizarre. In fact, I can even get on board with Him and Her and My as long as we don't bring Himself into it. O/our is still out though.

 

[playmiss]

old irish expression

I remember hearing that expression a lot when I was a kid. I associate it with family gatherings when elderly relatives would be present. Since I'm from a very Irish background, and many of those elderly relatives were still attached to some of the old ways, including old expressions, I think it is an old Irish expression that recognizes a place of importance.

Just after writing the above paragraph, I got the bright idea to look it up in my Websters Unabridged. Guess what. It says using "himself" as a subject in a sentence is from old Irish dialect.

Herself is proud of being right (doesn't happen all that often).

 

[SweetErika]

I've always found that one especially bizarre. In fact, I can even get on board with Him and Her and My as long as we don't bring Himself into it. O/our is still out though.

However disagreeable some of the different capitalization styles may be, I do understand the rationale for most of them. I find myself capitalizing "dominant" often, likely because I'm used to doing so with "D/s" and it seems to follow the title rule in my brain.

I'm so with you on the O/our thing - it only takes a few of those (or using third person, for that matter ) to discombobulate me.

I remember hearing that expression a lot when I was a kid. I associate it with family gatherings when elderly relatives would be present. Since I'm from a very Irish background, and many of those elderly relatives were still attached to some of the old ways, including old expressions, I think it is an old Irish expression that recognizes a place of importance.

Just after writing the above paragraph, I got the bright idea to look it up in my Websters Unabridged. Guess what. It says using "himself" as a subject in a sentence is from old Irish dialect.

Herself is proud of being right (doesn't happen all that often).

Woohoo!

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Playmiss!

Even if it's in a dictionary (I did some searching, but couldn't find it, so you absolutely deserve to be proud!), it's really cool to learn you grew up hearing it from your family.

So, I'm guessing modern usage in the lifestyle must have originated from an Irish Dom (or maybe a lot of Irish Doms use it?), or it catching on after someone read or heard it.

I'll probably never be able to read "Himself" sans Irish accent again, though.

 

[Velvet Bubbles]

Dang. Playmiss beat me to it. LOL There's a boutique here in town called Herself. It's owned/ran by a very Irish (as in she was born there & moved here) woman. She'll confirm this is a form of address in Ireland also. However, doesn't mean I don't think it's odd. But then, I'm not used to it either. New things tend to be "odd".

 

[Chris_Xavier]

Dang. Playmiss beat me to it. LOL There's a boutique here in town called Herself. It's owned/ran by a very Irish (as in she was born there & moved here) woman. She'll confirm this is a form of address in Ireland also. However, doesn't mean I don't think it's odd. But then, I'm not used to it either. New things tend to be "odd".

Funny you should mention that, Velvet Bubbles -

One of my favorite books is Taipan by James Clavel and in it there is an Irish woman who refers to her husband as Himself and also refers to her as Herself. The book is set in the 1840s. I never really gave it much thought until now.

 

[the captians wench]

Woohoo!

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Playmiss!

Even if it's in a dictionary (I did some searching, but couldn't find it, so you absolutely deserve to be proud!), it's really cool to learn you grew up hearing it from your family.

So, I'm guessing modern usage in the lifestyle must have originated from an Irish Dom (or maybe a lot of Irish Doms use it?), or it catching on after someone read or heard it.

I'll probably never be able to read "Himself" sans Irish accent again, though.

That is interesting Playmiss, and an interesting theory SweetE. I love finding out little tidbits like that as well. I do know my Irish Dom doesn't use "himself" but that's not to say other's don't.

and I can't read his ims or posts with out "hearing" his accent anymore.

 

[Aeroil]

I've always found that one especially bizarre. In fact, I can even get on board with Him and Her and My as long as we don't bring Himself into it. O/our is still out though.

the O/o thing looks so horrible when there's like eight of them in a sentence, too.

Unnecessary capitalization makes me lol, but you'd have a hard time forcing me to do it.

 

[Chris_Xavier]

Unnecessary capitalization makes me lol, but you'd have a hard time forcing me to do it.

If you are a true dom then you don't need the superficial reinforcement of capitalization and if you are a true sub then you know your place w/o the lack of capitalization reminding you, IMHO.

 

[subtleone]

I remember hearing that expression a lot when I was a kid. I associate it with family gatherings when elderly relatives would be present. Since I'm from a very Irish background, and many of those elderly relatives were still attached to some of the old ways, including old expressions, I think it is an old Irish expression that recognizes a place of importance.

Just after writing the above paragraph, I got the bright idea to look it up in my Websters Unabridged. Guess what. It says using "himself" as a subject in a sentence is from old Irish dialect.

Herself is proud of being right (doesn't happen all that often).

Tis what it is, To be sure - You hear it a lot in colloquial English here in the UK but it is derived from Hiberno-English

May find this online book of interest if you really want to be educated.

 

[SweetErika]

That is interesting Playmiss, and an interesting theory SweetE. I love finding out little tidbits like that as well. I do know my Irish Dom doesn't use "himself" but that's not to say other's don't.

and I can't read his ims or posts with out "hearing" his accent anymore.

Might he know of anyone in the lifestyle over there who uses "Him/Herself" in this way? It'd be interesting to hear an Irish Dom's thoughts on this.

 

[Blushing Bottom]

I once knew an Irish Dom who liked to be called Himself and called me "my own."

Gotta love the Irish.

Might he know of anyone in the lifestyle over there who uses "Him/Herself" in this way? It'd be interesting to hear an Irish Dom's thoughts on this.

 

[SweetErika]

I once knew an Irish Dom who liked to be called Himself and called me "my own."

Gotta love the Irish.

Oh man, I can hear it now: "Himself wants my own to bend over."

Or something like that.

I think I'd have a lot of trouble understanding, much less remembering to use the proper terms. Did you get used to it fairly quickly?

 

[the captians wench]

Might he know of anyone in the lifestyle over there who uses "Him/Herself" in this way? It'd be interesting to hear an Irish Dom's thoughts on this.

I will ask for you hun.

To be honest, I think his views on titals are changing a bit, I'd be interested myself to find out his views on the matter.

 

[the captians wench]

I once knew an Irish Dom who liked to be called Himself and called me "my own."

Gotta love the Irish.

I know one I gotta love.

 

[the captians wench]

Oh man, I can hear it now: "Himself wants my own to bend over."

Or something like that.

I think I'd have a lot of trouble understanding, much less remembering to use the proper terms. Did you get used to it fairly quickly?

I've had people instruct me to speak of myself in the third person, and one even had me call myself "his", that only got confusing when I was talking about something of mine. Couldn't figure out if my mom was "his mom" or "his's mom".

With Jounar I often times refur to myself as "your" or "yours". "Your slave loves her owner", "Yours loves you", "Yours begs to be punished" kinda thing. It's not something he requires of me, and he hasn't told me to cut it out, but to be honest I'm not sure how he feels about it....something I should probably ask. For me, it gives me a since of being absolutely owned to the point where I don't even exist, I'm his property, not even my own being. It makes me feel more connected to him some how.