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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

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  • Neither. Today is my anniversary, today is Joey's anniversary => Today is my and Joey's anniversary
    – mplungjan
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 at 13:38
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    @JanusBahsJacquet "'me and Joey’s' is fine."?? Surely not? Sounds very odd in BrE.
    – TrevorD
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 at 14:22

2 Answers 2

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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.

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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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 at 16:44
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I guess:

"Today is Joey's anniversary and mine."

should also work.

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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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 at 14:24
  • Actually i did not interpret the original as a couple. I thought of 2 distinct anniversaries. :-)
    – Pam
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 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
    Commented Sep 4, 2013 at 15:41

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