Bragging’s not good, but a little bit of confidence can be powerful. I’m not talking about #humblebrags or #sorrynotsorry comments. When you’re with the right listener and you want to toot your own horn (there’s an expression we need to dive into on another day), what’s the correct phrase to follow your statement of pride?
Is it “If I do say so myself” or “If I don’t say so myself”? If I “do” or “don’t” say so myself?
Let’s break this down:
- “If I do say so myself” is like an asterisk added to a statement that, sure, you might be biased, but you’re going to say it anyway. Speaking of one’s own talent, skill, or accomplishments might sound to arrogant or boastful; however, that’s not stopping the speaker. And they’re okay with that. All cards on the table.
- “If I don’t say so myself” implies you aren’t saying anything. So… this one doesn’t quite make sense, does it? If you’re not speaking, you won’t have a statement about not speaking.
Thus:
The correct idiom is “If I say so myself” or “If I do say so myself.”
This expression seems to first have appeared in the early to mid 1800s, with “do say so myself” the clear dominant (and logical) phrase. There’s a tiny early blip (in the 1820s and 1830s, and again in the 1860s) where the negative form (“do not” or “don’t”) being more commonly used in the written record; however, these were relatively minor numbers in comparison to the modern expression.
The data, you ask? Oh, I do love data:
(Thanks to Google Books Ngram Viewer for the chart.)
I think that about sums it all up, if I do say so myself. And I am saying it. Aloud. (If you could only hear me. I really am saying it aloud as I type this.) Got it?
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