Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site mhuxt.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!js2j From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: 'they' as third person singular indefinate sex pronoun Message-ID: <488@mhuxt.UUCP> Date: Thu, 10-Jan-85 13:44:09 EST Article-I.D.: mhuxt.488 Posted: Thu Jan 10 13:44:09 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 00:57:52 EST Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 16 I've been following the discussion here about the use of 'they' instead of 'he' as a third person singular indefinate sex pronoun, and as I was writing an article recently, I needed just such a pronoun. I thought: "What the heck, let's try out this 'they' word."; and did. The results were less than satisfying. This is the phrase I ended up with: "is anonymous; if they finds out where I live, will they come bomb my house?" Now it may be that I've used this word inappropriately somehow, (though it seems to be right to me) but if not, then I guess I'll have to agree with the people who said that it looks and sounds very clumsy. -- Jeff Sonntag ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j "Things always seem darkest just before they get totally black."