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When is it correct to use, for example "me and my wife" and "my wife and me", which is correct and what's the difference?

Flutterbyebye
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    Either one may be used (there is no difference) whenever one could use me by itself, and not where one couldn't. E.g, Bill met me/me and my wife/my wife and me at NorWesCon last year. But not *Me/Me and my wife/My wife and me met Bill at NorWesCon last year. – John Lawler Mar 17 '14 at 01:08
  • @FumbleFingers I guess that's why we should write, "One day, my dog and I went for a walk." :-P – Pitarou Mar 17 '14 at 03:24
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    @John: Coming from you, that seems like an extraordinarily prescriptive position. I'm more comfortable with this "descriptivist" position The prescriptive rule we are taught that may keep us from saying “John and me went to the store” is in fact not logical at all* and cannot be generalized to pronouns other than I!* – FumbleFingers Mar 17 '14 at 13:18
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    @Pitarou: I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek saying name the important one first in the context of *self* and *spouse. But if you listen to the two different pairs of in-laws identifying the happy couple to others, I bet you'll soon discover that in most cases each pair name their own child first*. – FumbleFingers Mar 17 '14 at 13:23

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In the real world, either one is acceptable.

If you're dealing with an insufferable pedant however, or aspire to become one, you'll want to insist upon "My Wife and I". No substitutions permitted.

LessPop_MoreFizz
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