From: utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!bts Newsgroups: net.nlang Title: genderless usage Article-I.D.: unc.3661 Posted: Thu Jul 8 16:58:27 1982 Received: Fri Jul 9 04:03:32 1982 Discussions of how language ought to be are interesting, but standard usage is the real authority. How many genderless substitutes do you hear in everyday speech. In Chapel Hill, many restaurants refer to their servers as "waitpersons". (I know several places where it is spelled that way on the menu.) Is that common anywhere else? What other examples can you provide? Bruce Smith, UNC-Chapel Hill (...duke!unc!bts)