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Trawling through a back issue of the delightful webzine Take Our Word For It, I came across this complaint contributed by a reader, together with Mike/Melanie’s joking response. Q: While I'm at it, would you please explain to your readers that gender is a matter of grammar. Sex is a different matter and is what you check in little boxes on government forms. A: Yes gender is a matter of grammar but sex... Isn't that how they have coal delivered in Cheltenham? (if non-UK, see thread on RP for this pronunciation  ) Sex is a wonderfully ambiguous word, with so many loaded connotations. It is perhaps worth noting in passing even a verbal use of the word, as in “sexing chicken”, with its elliptic sense of “separating chicken according to their sexual characteristics”. Gender seems to me a plainer term, unencumbered and simple. I was therefore puzzled by this curmudgeonly wisdom – it seems to me a useful term in common currency, important in that it strips out ambiguity for occasions when clarity is more vital than wit! Does anyone else have strong feelings about applied sex?  http://www.takeourword.com/Issue102.html#Curmudgeon's Corner
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>Sex is a wonderfully ambiguous word...
I'm going to disagree with you to this extent: this is what is known in the technical writing field as an "overloaded" term -- which means that it is just about impossible to use the word in anything but a jocular or pedantic (or hackneyed!) context.
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Dag nabbit Mav. It's a good thing you added that explanation as to what sexing chickens mean. I was about to cross the UK off the list of places that I would like to visit one day. Over here we let the chickens sex themselves. Well, there you go, tsuwm was right in one way. Jocularity is the order of the day when sex is brought into the conversation. Pedantic, however, I don't agree with. Minn. is definitely off my visit list if sex is discussed only in a pedantic context. Mind you, don't they have chickens there? And to answer your question...<Does anyone else have strong feelings about applied sex?>... it all depends upon where the sex is applied 
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Pedantic Sex: Masters & Johnson
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*it is just about impossible to use the word in anything but a jocular or pedantic (or hackneyed!) context
Technically speaking (or writing), indeed you're correct, tsuwm. But otherwise, I think you're failing to give "sex" due credit. Even if it is overvalued!
(I'm assuming in what follows that appending the word to others is acceptable practice, by the way. Correct me if I'm wrong)
First example that comes to mind - unfortunate in that it's an invented word - is "sexcrime", a bit of Orwellian newspeak. Not much jocularity, and quite a lot of bite, in that one.
"Sex slave" sounds ironic or jocular at first, but then goes a bit sour.
"Sexy" - definitely overloaded, and well detached from its original meaning. Or is it? Maybe we're not giving due credit to the diversity of the original meaning!
(starts getting quizzical looks from the audience)
Actually these are bound to be personal impressions, but that's maverick's point, isn't it? Those impressions can swing to extremes, and there are acres of interpretation between those extremes which can be weighted by context. Even if that context is a single word.
Great stuff! Exactly what the English language is all about, in my humble opinion.
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what the English language is all aboutYep, tend to agree with you FOAB (to render another non-sentence!) But I can't help notice this thread has more views than participants - a higher ratio of voyeurs at around 8:1 than say YART at 5:1. What does this tell us about AWADERS? Or is it just 'cause Jo's away sunning herself?
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(starts getting quizzical looks from the audience)Where's the emoticon mark-up for "quizzical look"???  --- mav, hope I didn't skew your stats. This really isn't a reply.
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Hmmmmm. I wonder what Masters & Johnson would have to say about that question mav? More voyeurs than participants.
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>what's the emoticon... for quizzical look?
I have no clue, he replied quizzically -- but this might work :-?
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>But I can't help notice this thread has more views than participants - a higher ratio of voyeurs at around 8:1 than say YART at 5:1. What does this tell us about AWADERS? < I was going to say that maybe we don't talk about sex with strangers, but then FishonaBike is the only stranger in this thread. ...someone restrain me before I start on the members and addicts...
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