h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's a defined macro, involving the use of control c and then control v.

>> ..definition of a woman then is any female who as attained the age of consent.. <<

I would add to that definition.
A real woman is old enough to say yes but smart enough to say no. The rest are just girls who have "attained the age of consent".


~jwf~

>> ..16year old apprentices are being addressed as "Frau" instead of "Fräulein".. <<

Curiously, English went through a similar situation with boys, from about the middle of the 19th century until quite recently. As soon as a chap felt the surge of puberty he would baulk at being called "master" and sought every opportunity to gain the respect needed to be called 'mister'. And when I say curiously I usually mean curiously.


~jwf~ (Mister Fulton to fewer and fewer and master of none.)

>> The rest are just girls who have "attained the age of consent". <<

Damn!
I realise now that should have said 'the rest are just lasses who are old enough to be legal'.


~jwf~

'This morning one of that class handed in his 'corrections' to me - addressed "Dear Jone's". '

Is he from a long line of greengrocers?

vestboy,

Nice one, Dearie.

When I was at school, I refused to accept the protocol of addressing the "masters", some of who were a complete waste of elbow patches, as "Sir". I called them all "Mr." Whatever, except for the few "Dr." Something.

This I carried through into working life until a few years ago when I realised that I was cluttering up my diminishing supply of brain cells with unnecessary information. With the exception of one male I address all males as "Sir" and women as "Ma'am".

Saves me a lot of embarrassment.

It can be a problem when you need to signify that you are addressing someone in particular but you don't know their name.

In my work circles, with patients, sir seems to be reasonably acceptable for men who look middle aged & over or who look respectable. It sounds a bit sarcastic when applied to the casually dressed loutish types that also appear. Ma'am only seems to suit rather elderly genteel ladies.

The patients also have a problem knowing how to address us. I've variously been called Doctor, Nurse, Miss, love, dear, my poppet & of course 'erm'. I don't take any of those as derogatory if the tone of voice is respectful.

maybe if you are a 'Fellow' as in FRCS they should be saying 'I say, Fellow!' or something?

Traveller in Time on his head
"I wear a badge.

Perhaps not sufficient for bad sighted. And the problem remains how to address someone not being introduced before."

I wear a badge - but I work in a Low Vision clinic

Remembers confusion caused by badges in Benny Hill sketch.
Woman of impressive proportions had her name badge on her top pocket. Her name was Pat.

I'd love someone to call me "sir" some day. It would be quite surreal, and awesome.

Well Sir!

There is only one reply to that one...

turvy

vestboy,

"Remembers confusion caused by badges in Benny Hill sketch.
Woman of impressive proportions had her name badge on her top pocket. Her name was Pat."

She used to have lunch with two female friends. One was a newspaper reporter and the other an elevator operator. They wore badges, respectively: "Press" and "Lift" .

>> I wear a badge - but I work in a Low Vision clinic <<


Reminds me of the braille on the keypads of drive-thru banking machines.

~jwf~

Wow turvy...I feel so...sirry, like right now

This could be aprocryphal but I heard that a US tourist was crossing the road at a light controlled crossing and was puzzled when he heard the high pitched beeps when the green man appeared.
"Oh, they're for the blind!" explained one passer by.
"That's amazing!" said the tourist, "We don't allow blind people to drive in America."

It'd be nice if that were true. Mind you Canada has beeping crossings, so the US probably does as well.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was true. You know how dumb those people can be...

You mean "pedestrians"?