|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Rhuby comments: ...akin to your "featherbedding, but the workers were taken from existing staff left over from when there was either more work, or most likely, when there was less technology that did away with the necessity for so many skilled people.
Pretty much the origin of featherbedding. The classic example was the fireman, a holdover from the days of coal fired steam engines, being required on the crew of a diesel locomotive.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
fireman, a holdover from the days of coal fired steam engines,when "firemen" shovelled the coal into the boiler.
Which is why most members of Fire Departments ask to be called "firefighters" rather than firemen.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Which is why most members of Fire Departments ask to be called "firefighters" rather than firemen.I didn't know that! Thanks, wow.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Which is why most members of Fire Departments ask to be called "firefighters" rather than firemen.Not here. They're still called firemen, even the women ... and they don't wanna change.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379 |
<<They're still called firemen, even the women>>
Interesting how a chairperson may be a chairman, but no chairman would ever be a chairperson and, so, a chairperson is always a chairwoman. So far ahead, so little headway.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
but no chairman would ever be a chairperson That depends, IP. If your publication style guide calls for "chairperson," everyone's a person! And I have known men to use chairperson (of themselves) in the interest of political correctness. Or there's always the gender-neutral "chair."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
Or there's always the gender-neutral "chair."I have long preferred "chair", simply because it focuses attention on the office, rather than the officeholder, which seems to me to be eminently sensible.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
I have long preferred "chair", simply because it focuses attention on the office, rather than the officeholder, which seems to me to be eminently sensible
Never thought of it that way, Max, but you're right. Given the choice between chairperson and chair, I, too, prefer the latter. And now you've given me a reasonable justification for using it. Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
Thank you!
NP, YW
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 157
member
|
member
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 157 |
re: chairperson/chairman Perhaps my title should read "journeyperson," not "journeyman"!
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,512
Members9,187
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
197
guests, and
2
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|