Do you use 'can' as a way to ask for permission instead of may?

I do occasionally. Because who cares.

Yeah, out of habit. Just how people have spoken around me since I was born.

I think so. I think I use both.

As a non-native speaker of the English language, I never understood why "can" is inappropriate to use when asking for something; is it just by convention that it is wrong (all language is convention, of course, but I just wonder if there is some fundamental difference between the two ways of phrasing)?

My parents made me go to this private christian school for the later couple years of elementary school, because we lived in a small town with an atrocious public school that they didn't want me attending. Anyways they had this demerit system where you would get penalized for doing things they didn't like, and if you had 3 demerits at the end of the day you would have 30 minutes of detention (or an hour for 5.) Anyways, one of the ways to get a demerit was to say "can I" instead of "may I" when you were making a request. I was in the habit of saying "can I," and since we had to ask their permission to do every single little thing, I ended up getting detention nearly every day for like the entire first month I was there. The point of this story being, that I will never use the term "may I," ever, ever again, for any person, under any circumstances, because if I did, then they will have won.

Also language evolves and I think it's best not to hold it back for the sake of sounding proper.

This is random, and not pertinent to this poll, but the Tron: Uprising soundtrack is out, and it, like the show is fantastic. Like this poll, I was just thinking about it, so I felt like mentioning it.

Can I kick it?

@Danteveli said:

Can I kick it?

Yes you can.

@RVonE: When saying can, it means that you're asking if you're able to do something. So say if you're in school, and you ask "Can I go to the restroom?" You're not asking for permission to do it, you're asking "Am I capable to go to the bathroom?" It has to do with ability. Can you lift 100 pound weights? Like that.

@Hunter5024: That school sounds like shit, and I agree with you.

Only when I say "Can I has your stuff?"

"May I has your stuff?" sounds weird.

Didn't know "can" was wrong in that context. Why?

I always say can, never may.

@RVonE: I've always understood it as saying "Can I" is like asking if you are physically capable of doing something while "May I" is actually asking permission to do something you are capable of. No rational English speaking adult should give a shit about the usage.

Edit: I thought too hard and @NTM wins.

@Zomgfruitbunnies: Neither sounds right actually, ha ha. Switch 'has' with have.

@FluxWaveZ: Look above.

I don't ask permission for nothin', son.

@FluxWaveZ said:

Didn't know "can" was wrong in that context. Why?

I'm sure most of us don't know why it's wrong. We only know it's wrong because we asked our third grade teacher "can I go to the bathroom?" and got the snide response "well I sure hope you can!"

It's common usage at this point. Even if it is technically wrong, it is still right.

@NTM: @villainy: Thanks, guys!

I will never understand why people include joke questions in polls. It just makes the entire point of making a poll pointless. Anyway, I usually say May but some times can comes out. It only matters when you are in school and you have a cunt teacher that keeps screaming at you about it. God I hated the fucking bitch. To this day I can hear her harpy screech when I notice people saying can.

I does it the right way.

Yes, and I know it's not correct but I just don't care. Never even think about it until someone brings it up.

I use may because my teachers would always say an annoying comment like "I don't know, can you?" so now it's a habit.

@TooWalrus: Ha ha, yep.

@McGhee: Couldn't you say that for a bunch of things many people get wrong as well, like 'I could care less'? So many people say that.

@crusader8463: It was on my mind, but I agree, it's usually annoying and dumb that makes the poll seem less serious from the creator.

I almost never say "may I", it sounds really awkward and formal to me.

@NTM said:

@McGhee: Couldn't you say that for a bunch of things many people get wrong as well, like 'I could care less'? So many people say that.

Yes, you definitely could say it for many things people get wrong. There's a long list of them.

@LackingSaint: Like, it's just not in your personality. That's understandable. Ask for some caviar afterwards and whatnot.

I think we're at a point as a society that can is correct, just informal.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/can-or-may It's not wrong. You are allowed to use either. (sorry for a non-working link. Can't edit on ios)

@Ezakael said:

I use may because my teachers would always say an annoying comment like "I don't know, can you?" so now it's a habit.

This is why I still say can. Out of spite. That how you get your kicks, being snide to an eight year old?

I remember one time a teacher was really asinine about my phrasing when I really needed to go to the bathroom. I figured it was about can since I'd run into that before but even when I changed it she still wouldn't let me go until I "fixed" it. I stood there painfully holding it in for upwards of a minute in front of the class changing "can I go to the bathroom?" into "may I please use the bathroom please ma'am?" because I had no idea what was problem and oh god my bladder was going to explode. Then she rolled her eyes once I ran out of ways to add stuff and said "are going to take a bath?" and then I felt like punching her in the mouth.

So now I also exclusively say bathroom and dare people to correct me.

@MildMolasses: That doesn't really explain why it's not incorrect, it just says it's either formal or not, and I don't see that as a good reason, it doesn't make much sense.

@OmegaChosen said:

@Ezakael said:

I use may because my teachers would always say an annoying comment like "I don't know, can you?" so now it's a habit.

This is why I still say can. Out of spite. That how you get your kicks, being snide to an eight year old?

I remember one time a teacher was really asinine about my phrasing when I really needed to go to the bathroom. I figured it was about can since I'd run into that before but even when I changed it she still wouldn't let me go until I "fixed" it. I stood there painfully holding it in for upwards of a minute in front of the class changing "can I go to the bathroom?" into "may I please use the bathroom please ma'am?" because I had no idea what was problem and oh god my bladder was going to explode. Then she rolled her eyes once I ran out of ways to add stuff and said "are going to take a bath?" and then I felt like punching her in the mouth.

So now I also exclusively say bathroom and dare people to correct me.

Teachers are cunts. All of them.

'Can' can be aggresssive in some context.

Depends

Anyone that says "I don't know can you?" Should be stabbed.

@NTM: You're being mislead by the premise that using "can" is somehow incorrect. The real question you should be asking is why they wouldn't consider "can" to be correct.

But the 'permission' use of can is not in fact incorrect in standard English.

The issue you seem to have (at least as I interpret your post) is that because you've been told it's wrong, that you need proof that it isn't. The fact is, it was never wrong. Impolite when addressing a teacher? Maybe. But grammatically, it was never unacceptable. It's like asking for a reason why not stealing isn't illegal.

@MildMolasses: Ha ha. Do you think I made this thread as if I don't say can myself? To be honest, I don't care what people say, it doesn't bother me 'cause I almost always say can. I'm simply stating how it is. I don't however think what was mentioned in the link was evident enough to say it is in fact correct to say it, that was my point, not with what I believe about the topic.

I use can but I generally alternate between the two. I pretty much exclusively use may when asking permission so I can do something. While asking for someone to do something for me or give me something then I use can. Like "can I get some fries?". I think that's the correct usage but I'm pretty should I heard you are still supposed to use may for latter case.

My completely honest answer isn't one of the options, so I chose A.

My use of "may" and "can" is split fifty-fifty. I know when to use "may" but everyone around me uses "can" for the same reason I use it half of the time: it's what we're used to.

I do it all the time. 'May' just sounds too formal even though it's right. I'm gonna try to see if I can break the habit. (hint: probably won't last long.)

Well, this is quite odd. I had this exact discussion earlier with a co-worker. You can use "can". I refuse to believe that in American English, it is wrong. "Can" is also a synonym for "may". Both work when asking for permission.

I say may to teachers and bosses but everyone else I just say can.

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN you please pass the coloured crayons?"

As long as you say 'please' whilst making a request, t'aint hardly likely Imma care.

I don't ask for permission. I'm far too passive a bastard to do that.

@OmegaChosen: And here I thought I would have the only response that involved a traumatic event during childhood.

I circumvent it by saying "Do you mind if"

I enjoy resenting people who point out that "may" is the proper way too much to change how I say it. Sometimes I say may, more often I say can.

It's better to burn bridges than ask for permission or forgiveness.

I don't want to be 'that guy', but I'm doing an English Language degree, so I feel qualified enough to say that it is not incorrect at all to use 'can' when asking for permission. Words and their meanings change with time. I believe someone has already said this in this thread already, but it's worth saying again.

The rules that people give to Standard English are vague and constantly changing. Things such as 'never end a sentence with a preposition" are good examples of this. It is perfectly fine and correct to end a sentence with a preposition in modern Standard English, and anyone who still teaches this archaic rule is merely attempting to ape the speech of a different time.

@Danteveli said:

Can I kick it?

Yes you can.

Blame the generation above me for starting it.