Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site homxa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!homxa!carson From: carson@homxa.UUCP (P.CARSTENSEN) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Dividing Line Message-ID: <784@homxa.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 18:11:12 EST Article-I.D.: homxa.784 Posted: Thu Mar 7 18:11:12 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 06:21:36 EST References: <731@decwrl.UUCP> <745@amdcad.UUCP> <627@mhuxt.UUCP>, <917@vax1.fluke.UUCP>, <541@hou5g.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 17 Sigh, the bad news is that no single word for person-of-the-female-type persuasion is going to work everywhere...You just get yourself geared up to using "woman" consistently, and you end up with a bunch of 20-50 yr. old females who WON'T allow "woman"...2 rules of thumb I go by are (1) If you are referring to X, try to refer to her as she prefers (hope she returns the COURTESY -- which is what it is...admittedly this is not easy to remember for all acquaintenances, much less easy to determine with strangers...on the other hand, it may help to preserve your mental and physical health *joke dammit*), (2)whatever you use, BY ALL MEANS, use it respectfully...saying "I'll have my gal do it" is not any different from "...my girl do it" Good luck... Patty (Ps, an ex-office-mate of mine used "my fellow" for co-workers of either sex, but his charming Roumanian accent may be what made it so attractive...)