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Have been over all postings to date and find them invariably interesting. Thank God, we don't have zealots here who insist on ridiculous neologisms to avoid perfectly good terms.
A couple of observations. Now that in many churches there are female clergy, it's interesting that the word 'deaconess' which was in use up to the 70s has been quietly deep-sixed; a deacon can now be of either gender and the same word is used for both. Also, the word 'priestess' is never under any circumstances used; a priest, or a bishop for that matter, is also of either gender.
Lawyers, hereabouts at least, are often addressed in writing as 'John Doe, Esq.' Of course, we know that an esquire originally was male, but you now have 'Jane Doe Esq.' I suppose that if the term for an adolescent boy in training as a knight's assistant could be used for a corporate tax lawyer, or one of the unsavory shysters who hang around the courthouse, or the ambulance chasers who prey on the parents of birth-damaged children, it could be used for a woman (not knocking the ladies here).
To look at the other sex, there is a good deal of use of the word 'boy/boys' which no one minds, as in, "See what the boys in the back room will have." In any group consisting entirely of men, they will frequently refer to themselves or each other as 'boys' or 'the boys'.
Lastly, in regard to terms used in the clothing industry, I have always wondered what, exactly, is meant by the term 'misses' sizes/clothing? I don't believe there is an equivalent in men's/boys clothes.
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Carpal Tunnel
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the word 'priestess' is never under any circumstances used
(discreet cough emoticon)
wow
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there is, of course, a bureau of standards for clothing sizes-- but roughly-- Juniors-- odd numbers sizes-1 to 15
for younger women-- narrower in the waist and bust, and slightly shorter (Neck to waist, waist to hem) they tend to be for younger women. Misses even numbered sizes 2 to 18 or so. slightly larger in the waist than juniors-- actually the standard from which other sizes are based on. (difference between juriors and misses- is like the difference between regular and "trim fit" in mens clothing) Petites-- can be any size-- just cut shorter-- neck to waist, waist to hem, and sleeve. (since women's clothes don't always come in Long, Reg and Short--Tall women, and very short have the worst of it..)
Worst case is a thin women about 5 foot tall, with large breasts-- she might need a juniors size 3 or 5 skirt--but a Misses 8 for a jacket-- to fit her bust--only now the shoulders, and sleeves would be way to big, and even the back of the jacket wouldn't fit right!
"half sizes" 12½ to 22½-- fuller-- especially in waist and bust.(mens "full cut") Womens 16 (or 18) to 26.. large sizes.. Think of Roseanne-- or Cathrine Manheim.
Size 12 is the standard-- everything is cut larger or smaller based on its relationship to size 12. -- it used to be size 10-- but as america keeps getting larger.. they moved the standard up a notch..
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Re: priestess--
I didn't know that "standard" religions ever had any need for the term, at least in earlier days. But don't some
"non-standard" religions have priestesses? Wicca, possibly
voodoo, even Druids?
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Lastly, in regard to terms used in the clothing industry, I have always wondered what, exactly, is meant by the term 'misses' sizes/clothing? I don't believe there is an equivalent in men's/boys clothes.
According to the daughter of one of my colleagues, who works for a retailer on the marketing side, the mid sizes for girls in their tweens are in theory intended to compensate for the physical shape changes that the distaff sex goes through during adolescence. But the cynical young thing also informed me that it is being leveraged furiously by all the name brand retailers (and knock-off shops, no doubt) to aid them targeting that same market by getting at the parents through those fashion-conscious misses ....
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Religions may get along without priestesses these days, but AWADtalk has a high priestess of its own, long may she thrive.
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old hand
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old hand
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the distaff sexAhhhggg! PC Police alert! Chauvinist attribution!  Flax-spinning little homebody, huh? BTW, in her profile, doean't B96 call herself a goddess, not just a mere god? 
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The CBC url that Bean posted raised a thought about epicene pronouns. [never-thought-i'd-use-the-word-of-the-day-that-fast-in-a-post-I-was-going-to-make-anyway emoticon]
To quote Christopher Robin (or at least A.A. Milne) "If the English language had been properly organized . . . then there would be a word which meant both 'he' and 'she', and I could write, 'If John or Mary comes heesh will want to play tennis,' which would save a lot of trouble."
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?
Rod
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and the flummery URL that Belligerent Youth posted yesterday provided (but I can't find it now) an odd press line something on the lines of "This competition category is only open to women pretending to be drag queen artistes!" as if we weren't all confused enough already! The above was going to be my post but in trying to find the original line I found an even more relevant item. Here is the url. http://www.oreilly.com/people/staff/sierra/flum/01.01.htm Just search for "Gender Identity" just over half way down. Rod
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doean't B96 call herself a goddess, not just a mere god?yup, geoff. 'god' just seemed a bit....egocentric. as for the girls/women/ladies thing, i guess i don't really understand what all the fuss is about. after all, that which we call a rose... i *do* vividly remember being in a dressing room a few years ago, i was probably 25 or so, and overheard a sales girl who appeared to be maybe 18 or 19 ask another sales girl if she could bring something in to "that LADY in room five". i felt so *old*. 
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