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stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2001
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In response to 'Ladies rooms?' here is an interesting consideration.
In architecture in the US, when drawing plans of buildings (other than houses), the recommended notation and almost universally used is...
Women's Toilet
The signage that the building owner chooses to use on the doors may be very different.
William
William
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
In reply to:
It is often possible to reconstruct a sentence to use general plurals or avoid pronouns, but I am interested in the board's opinion for the occasions when gender neutral pronouns are necessary. Do you prefer "he or she" "he/she" "his/hers" or do you (like me) [putting his cards on the table e] prefer using "their" "they" as gender neutral singular pronouns?
I refuse to use the virgule version or to apply a plural pronoun to a singular noun. I tend to rewrite sentences to avoid those choices, and if presented with an unavoidable use of an indeterminate-sex-singular-pronoun I usually use simply, "he." Occasionally, when the subject of the writing pertains overwhelmingly to women, (such as when referring to rape victims or spousal abuse victims) I use "she."
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Sparteye refuses to ... apply a plural pronoun to a singular noun.
Dost thou use the second person singular pronoun when referring to a single person?
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
[quote]I refuse to use the virgule version .. or a plural for singular[/quote
I agree and do the same. Of course, it's difficult and frequently you find yourself hemming and hawing a bit when you have to some up with something on the fly.
For an interesting, and mostly successful, example of how to use gender-neutral language, you can study the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (not the latest edition of the Revised Standard Version, which is a different version altogether). We use this in church for all purposes and for the most part it's a good solution to a problem which many people (not me) want addressed, but there have been times when I'm standing at the lectern gritting my teeth over something I have to read aloud and putting a good face on it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The use of the third person plural pronoun in a singular context is, of course, marred by the fact that its roots are in the Dreaded Politically Correct notion that women deserve an even break, whilst the corresponding second person usage is from the Acceptable Socially Correct practice of sucking up to our superiors.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163 |
>on the other hand, why should I have to specify the gender of actor I need for my leading lady when the perfectly serviceable word actress is at hand? "And the Oscar® for Best Actor in a Woman's Role goes to..."
You could then get Robin Williams from Mrs. Doubtfire or Dustin Hoffman from tootsie as nominees.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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>You could then get Robin Williams from Mrs. Doubtfire or Dustin Hoffman from tootsie as nominees.
yes, exactly!
---
I also use "he" in almost all third person singular situations, unless the audience would tend to have a preponderance of women. (it's just my guyway 8)
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
You could then get Robin Williams from Mrs. Doubtfire or Dustin Hoffman from Tootsie as nominees.
Robin Williams played Daniel Hilliard. It was the character Daniel Hilliard who played Mrs. Doubtfire.
Dustin Hoffman played Michael Dorsey who played Tootsie* (Dorothy Michaels)
Not even Stephen Rea in The Crying Game was playing a female character.
*I'm not even sure that the name Tootsie referred to the Dorothy Michaels impersonation.
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