tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post114187694399283923..comments2023-04-05T08:10:02.296-07:00Comments on The True Confessions of an Hourly Bookseller: Grammar and Sexism: Why the Little Things MatterMicklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634363950848962653noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-38836606663531927052007-04-06T22:14:00.000-07:002007-04-06T22:14:00.000-07:00I vote for dropping the marking of nouns through t...I vote for dropping the marking of nouns through the use of man/woman or female/male. These perpetuate the binaries that so many feminists have been trying to stretch. Not everyone is easily slotted into one category over the other.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1144838953782190022006-04-12T03:49:00.000-07:002006-04-12T03:49:00.000-07:00To say "the worst male president of the USA" would...To say "the worst male president of the USA" would indicate there have been female presidents.<BR/><BR/>I could say "the worst male president of ireland" because the last three terms of president have been women. <BR/><BR/>I could not say "the worst male taoisach of ireland" because there has not been a female one yet.<BR/><BR/>Saying one thing suggests the other.<BR/><BR/>"the worst male Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1144713426145282062006-04-10T16:57:00.000-07:002006-04-10T16:57:00.000-07:00Well, I like of like saying "women poets" rather t...Well, I like of like saying "women poets" rather than "female poets"... no one ever says "male poets" any more than they say man poets. It sounds better than lady poet or poetess. <BR/><BR/>Why not instead call for the use of "man" as an adjective? And then use it... as in "man doctor" or "the worst man president in the history of the United States".<BR/><BR/>p.s. it's "grammar"...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1142283269320918302006-03-13T12:54:00.000-08:002006-03-13T12:54:00.000-08:00Ok, so split infinitives was perhaps not the best ...Ok, so split infinitives was perhaps not the best choice of grammer rules, but the basic priniciple is still there. How we use language changes it's meaning, and "to boldly go" means something different from "to go boldly."<BR/><BR/>(Which means that the split inifnitive example would have been better for describing when to use "females/males" and when not to, rather than urging people not to Micklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634363950848962653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1142192652141334502006-03-12T11:44:00.000-08:002006-03-12T11:44:00.000-08:00One of my brother's teachers explained the importa...One of my brother's teachers explained the importance of learning the rules of grammer to him thus:<BR/><BR/>It's not so much that you need to always follow them, but that you need to learn them so that you can break them with style.<BR/><BR/>Splitting infinitives isn't "wrong" in the sense that you should never do it, it's "wrong" in the sense that people rarely do it, so when it is done, it Micklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634363950848962653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1142063554493648792006-03-10T23:52:00.000-08:002006-03-10T23:52:00.000-08:00LOLthanks - and I'm not sure I have a link :(Yeah...LOL<BR/><BR/>thanks - and I'm not sure I have a link :(<BR/><BR/>Yeah, so, I got all over-excited about writing the posts and have sorely necglected the site design.<BR/><BR/>It's at the top (er, well, near the top) of a very long to do list.<BR/><BR/>I think you can get to it by going to my (mostly blank) profile, but in case you can't - it's QMickle at gmail dot comMicklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634363950848962653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20650052.post-1142009162412030742006-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:002006-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00Er, hi. I am apparently too lost to find an "email...Er, hi. I am apparently too lost to find an "email the blogger" link, so comments will have to do. I saw your comment on how lesbians are the answer at Pandagon, and thought "Mickle. Hm." Noticed that your blog was at westmark.blogspot, thought "Hm." Clicked through. Read the title and was overjoyed. (I was a bookslave for just over three years, so I completely recognise both the customer Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com