Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Fortune 01.0d7) 840725; site foros1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hpda!fortune!foros1!jr From: jr@foros1.UUCP (John Rogers) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Is 'woman' better than 'girl'? Message-ID: <334@foros1.UUCP> Date: Fri, 21-Sep-84 14:40:52 EDT Article-I.D.: foros1.334 Posted: Fri Sep 21 14:40:52 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 02:18:57 EDT References: <101@ssc-vax.UUCP> Lines: 22 [My first article in net.singles - be gentle :-)] Hi. I asked my SO (a female humanoid named Leslie) about "woman" vs. "girl" vs. whatever, and she said that (1) she didn't care, and (2) if someone wants to be derogatory, he/she can use any word in a degrading tone of voice, so the words themselves don't make much difference. It's the attitudes you need to change. (I tend to use the words "girl" and "guy"; I asked Leslie what she prefered because I wanted to make sure that I don't offend her.) I definitely think you should avoid words which other people feel are degrading to them, so I might use different words when talking with different people about the same things. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" [Romeo and Juliet?] "You can call me anything, just don't call me late for dinner." [old joke] "Me, I'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk." [Genesis] "You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can..." [old commercial] Happy hacking! -- JR (John Rogers) ...ihnp4!fortune!foros1!jr also fortune!jr and proper!jr