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Which of the following should I use?

Today is me and Joey's anniversary
Today is mine and Joey's anniversary

TrevorD
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Nikole
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  • Neither. Today is my anniversary, today is Joey's anniversary => Today is my and Joey's anniversary – mplungjan Sep 04 '13 at 13:30
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    If you are saying that both you and Joey have anniversaries today, @mplungjan’s comment is correct. If you are saying that you an Joey are together and this is your anniversary as a couple, you can treat ‘me and Joey’ as a single noun phrase, in which case “me and Joey’s” is fine. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Sep 04 '13 at 13:35
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    Ah, I did not even read that they might be a couple. Silly me. Today Joey and I are celebrating OUR anniversary is less ambiguous – mplungjan Sep 04 '13 at 13:38
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    @JanusBahsJacquet "'me and Joey’s' is fine."?? Surely not? Sounds very odd in BrE. – TrevorD Sep 04 '13 at 14:20
  • @mplungjan Yes - it said anniversary - not birthday! (But I also mis-read it at first - but I did realise before reading JBJ's comment!) :-) – TrevorD Sep 04 '13 at 14:22

2 Answers2

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First, I would put the other person first. So the sentence should begin, "Today is Joey's and..."

To finish the sentence, "Today is Joey's and my anniversary."

As a test, take away "Joey's and." Then you get: "Today is my (not mine) anniversary.

Tom Au
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    Is the reason why you want to put the other person first a grammatical reason or a politeness reason? Joey's and my does sound better than My and Joey's does, but I'm not sure whether that's due to the strange isolation of my from what it modifies, since My and Joey's doesn't sound ungrammatical per se. – John Lawler Sep 04 '13 at 15:05
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    @JohnLawler: It's a "politeness" issue. Other person first. Especially if s/he is your spouse. – Tom Au Sep 04 '13 at 15:09
  • Cool. I agree completely; but it's important to note that it's not a grammar issue. "Grammar" already covers too much territory here. – John Lawler Sep 04 '13 at 15:12
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    As a guideline (not a rule; just a guideline), put third person first, second person next, and first person last. E.g., "Today we celebrate Joey's, your and my anniversaries." – Paddy Landau Sep 04 '13 at 16:33
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    As a rule (not a guideline) always put your spouse first. It might not always be grammatical but it is always a safer bet. – terdon Sep 04 '13 at 16:44
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I guess:

"Today is Joey's anniversary and mine."

should also work.

Pam
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  • -1 That does not recognise that they are a couple. It's presumably the anniversary of them becoming a couple. – TrevorD Sep 04 '13 at 14:24
  • Actually i did not interpret the original as a couple. I thought of 2 distinct anniversaries. :-) – Pam Sep 04 '13 at 14:54
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    For a couple, I would imagine one just uses: "Today is our anniversary", and not use such a complicate wording. – Pam Sep 04 '13 at 15:05
  • The question didn't necessarily specify a couple, and "Today is our anniversary" only works if the two people are present when it is said or with some added context – TsSkTo Sep 04 '13 at 15:19
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    Well I almost agree. Except that the reference to the partner can be implicit (maybe because referenced before in a discourse). She need not be physically present (at least we can use it that way in my country, not sure elsewhere). – Pam Sep 04 '13 at 15:41
  • @TsSkTo The question actually specified two people & one anniversary (singular). We don't know that both people were present: I assume they weren't, otherwise she would have said "our anniversary". As she referred to her & Joey's anniversary, I assume she was talking to a friend, and Joey was not present. – TrevorD Sep 04 '13 at 15:41