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

>> A friend of mine wrote a university psychology textbook which said in the preface: 'Throughout this book, 'she' is used to indicate either gender.'"

Friend, university grade psychologist, author, clearly militant but you neglected the important bit, what was their gender? Not that it matters in any other circumstance, but here we are discussing whether gender is critical to the grammatical form.

I'm sure if/when the book is/was translated beyond English there will and won't be objection to such a device depending on the language in question. In English it's a clever disorienting device which may or may not be pertinent to the content. Oh, and did they give you permission to quote?

~j~

man, like, that all they he she stuff and like, just totally flipped out and like well and, so like, yeh. Innit.

On a recent 'work' project I woked on, whilst I still had a job ... The term 'she' was used consisatntly throughout to refer to 'the user' of the system, which of course may have actually been or would actually be eventually both male and female students and lecturers... I don't know where the idea of 'standardising' it to the female form came in...

I think women are unfairly critisised, and have recieved far more critacism than they deserve...

Who has more criticism than they deserve? Certainly not the grammar wonks, they've derailed this thread.

It just occurred to me that 'derailed this thread' is a mixed metaphor. I should have said oh damn I can't think of any more thread or weaving metaphors that would get the meaning across.

They've shuttled this thread into another woof, or is that weft? I give up, I'm going to bed

They have imparted a non-topical spin on to the otherwise specific direction of the thread's origional question

Macrame?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrame

Crochet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochet

Or maybe knot.

~jwf~

Squiggles:

Their job was irrelevant to their profession.

The issue is gender, sir.
Were they a man or a woman?

~j~

"they" were gender non-specific what were we talking about again?

The subject is persons who receive unfair or undue criticism. So while I have your attention 2legs allow me to express my regret for constantly harping at you for your alleged over indulgeences. That isn't can apology per ise, nor even a value judgment, it's just an acknowledgment of my regret that I presumed to offer advice where it appears it was neither wanted nor necessary.

BTW now that I know about your sight handicap I'm worrying if you can tell which smileys I'm using.

~jwf~

Nice one 2legs, very well put

Being a grammar wonk, I have a tendency to make threads go wonky

Football referees have had (and still get) more criticism than they deserve. To criticise human error is understandable (though not always acceptable) but most of the criticism aimed at referees seems to stem from an ignorance of the laws of football. Pundits and journalists often say "no one wants to see players getting sent off" but they fail to qualify the statement with "if they don't deserve it." I'll happily see a player sent off for contravening the laws of the game. Would the pundits and journos prefer "no rules" football?

Football referees.

Illegitimate children.

It was always 'some barsteward' who did it.

Well - no I didn't