Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site tymix.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!drutx!mtuxo!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!whitehur
From: whitehur@tymix.UUCP (Pamela K. Whitehurst)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: When are you a man/woman?
Message-ID: <541@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 12:33:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: tymix.541
Posted: Wed Sep 25 12:33:18 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 07:27:16 EDT
References: <305@decwrl.UUCP> <43800006@uiucuxc> <685@cornell.UUCP>
Reply-To: whitehur@tymix.UUCP (Pamela K. Whitehurst)
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 18

In article <685@cornell.UUCP> rance@cornell.UUCP (Rance Cleaveland) writes:
>
>Maybe other people don't have this impression, but it seems to me that
>in society's eyes you switch from being a "guy/girl" to a "man/woman"
>when you get married.  At least, I think that's the traditional usage.

I reserve exclusive use of girl for females under the age of 12.  Between
12 and 18 they may be girls or young women, or even young ladies.  I very 
seldom refer to a female over the age of 18 with the word girl, married
or not.  

The dictionary does define 'girl' as an unmarried young woman of
marriageable age.  It just doesn't explain how old a female is when 
she is no longer considered a 'young' woman.
-- 

           PKW 
hplabs!oliveb!tymix!whitehur