Language

I am not one of those who hoists out a soapbox as soon as someone uses "new English". I know the differences and reasons for the differences between US English and the stuff we use here. I don't gasp in shock when someone uses an expletive on TV or radio. I am, I think, reasonable and reasonably balanced. So why do my hackles rise when I hear "myself" when the correct word is "me"? When did "yourself" take over from "you"? Technically it's called hyper-correction and usually indicates the speech of someone who isn't confident of the correct form so they use the longer version thinking it sounds "posh" but it's crept into everyday usage on the BBC (swoon!). It's wrong, plain and bloody simply wrong. Stop it or our ourselves will pop round to yourselves and explain it with some percussive maintenance.

On an allied subject - Chicken Kiev is a dish where chicken breast is stuffed with garlic butter, panéd in breadcrumbs and fried or - in these health aware days - baked in the oven. Chicken Cordon Blu is the same with ham and cheese instead of the garlic butter. Why does every breaded chicken dish with some form of stuffing masquerade as Chicken Kiev when found on the shelves of supermarkets? I know I should make it from fresh but sometimes these things are easier bought ready-prepared but we're raising a generation of people who can't tell the difference between a veloute, a bechemal and a jus lié and it's just not good enough.