Hi there ALTRAV & FOXY...

Thank you ALTRAV...

For your interesting explanation on the Latin. While it's true, as a police officer, some Latin is still in use today, and probably will remain so for years to come, knowing the Force as I know it. Very very slow to change. On a personal note I would like to formerly study Latin, as it would seem it's a language that has a word or phrase that virtually covers every situation? Or am I wrong? Anyway enquiries reveal, one needs to attend a formal class in order to to fully understand the correct pronunciation of words and their usage. Unfortunately I'm too old now to attend classes for anything. Nevertheless thank you anyway.

Hi there FOXY...

I'm really dreadfully sorry, it would appear that I've tried to steer or encourage you, to have the surgery on your shoulder, while many here on the Forum, have suggested otherwise! In future I'll keep my big mouth firmly shut, for fear that I may encourage someone to make a bad choice, in something as vitally important as having a surgical procedure. I'm so very sorry FOXY.

Dear O Sung Wu,

No need to apologise. All I wanted was a variety
of opinions - and those I certainly got. So Thank You
for being honest, which is what I wanted.
I shall ask many questions (I've got a list made up)
from the specialist - and look at all the alternatives
before making the final decision as to what I shall do.

cont'd ...

You're going to laugh - but I've now become more
aware of the language and words that I use. It's
getting to the point of being silly. Eating out
the other evening - we had both a male and a
female serving us - and I couldn't help but
wonder - what should I call them - "waiter"
or "waitress?" what's the gender neutral term that
could be applied to both? Well I ended up calling
each of them according to their gender - "waiter"
for the male, and "waitress" for the female.

Then a letter arrived by mistake in our letter-box.
It belonged to our next door neighbour - address to
Mrs Michael Kelty. Again I made a mental note -
should it have been addressed to Ms Evonne Kelty?

So many thoughts running through my mind.

Is it correct to say - "This is a man-size job?"
Or should we say - 'This is a complex (huge, large,
enormous) job?" And what else do you call a -
"Manhole?" - And - "Access hatch?" (hee, hee, hee).

Gotta laugh.

Thank you very much for that FOXY, I was concerned I may've influenced you towards surgery?

Concerning the 'correct' protocol for posting a letter to a lady...sorry another slip. What a mean to say, posting a letter to a person of the more gentler and attractive gender (still wrong!!). Sorry, I give up?

When you address a letter to a lady, and you're unsure of her marital status, you employ the term Ms. Which is neither Miss or Mrs? However on a more serious note FOXY, I believe our language was designed to accommodate words that were gender specific. As such I really can't see what harm it does, for our language to remain exactly as it is. Sure, some words can be made gender neutral, but others should simply be left alone in my opinion.

Your example of a manhole made me laugh! That said, it's probably aptly termed, coined to describe such an opening for 'men' specifically. Few women would ever wish to access, nor have a need, to enter such a dirty, confined space that's either above or below them.

Waiter. Airline steward. Police officer. Teacher. Doctor. Minister. Actor. Driver. Firefighter. Ambulance officer. School principal. Cooks and chefs. Reverend. Bank teller (if they still exist).

So what's the problem ? It shouldn't take much imagination to use such 'gender-neutral' i.e. common-sense, terms. Even 'nurse' doesn't have to be confined to one gender. If ever there are male seamstresses, I suppose they could be called 'seamsters'. If.

I am all in favour of 'access hatches': the more accessible, the better. I have no interest in 'man-hole covers'. Oops, now I'll be in trouble with the homosexual lobby :)

Joe

Thanks guys,

Makes perfect sense.