Between you and me? Between you and I? Between me and you? Even native speakers of English confess to feeling perplexed when it comes to choosing the correct pronouns.
In his entertaining podcast Lexicon Valley on the online news website Slate, Mike Vuolo presents a satisfyingly thorough and often funny discussion of the confusion provoked by this expression.
Although most accept between you and me as the correct standard usage (following the rule of using the object pronoun, not the subject pronoun, after a preposition), champions of the form between you and I make the argument that if it was good enough for Shakespeare (in Merchant of Venice), it’s good enough for them.
Which one does singer Jessica Simpson favor? Listen for yourself.
Here is some vocabulary from the podcast that might, without explanation, stump (be too difficult for) even advanced students of English:
hypercorrection – a mistake in grammar caused by a false analogy with another rule that is commonly ignored
smartass – someone who is obnoxiously self-assertive and impudent
high dudgeon – intense indignation
up for grabs – available to the first person who wants it or tries to get it
roll my eyes – express exasperation
persnickity – placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details; fussy
cottage industry – a small, loosely organized flurry of activity or industry
from your lips to God’s ears – when used sarcastically, a pessimistic way of dismissing another’s naive hope
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