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You've never heard someone use "they" in reference to a singular person?! Sometimes you don't even know who the person referenced, so how do you refer to them?
by BoorishBears 5y ago
You've never heard someone use "they" in reference to a singular person?!
Sometimes you don't even know who the person referenced, so how do you refer to them?
"I don't know who's in charge but they could learn a thing or two"
"Someone is making a bunch of noise and they had better stop it"
"My friend told me his coworker was hurt. I hope they're ok"
Would you really use he or she instead of they in all of these situations? Like just pull a gender out of a hat?
- SiempreViernes 5y agoPresumably they've only heard the variant "My friend told me his coworker was hurt. I hope he or she is ok". /sarcasm
- WalterBright 5y ago> You've never heard someone use "they" in reference to a singular person?! Not until the last couple years. I often heard "man" or "him" used in a gender neutral manner, and whether it was neutral or not came from the context. "Guy" usually referred to males, but sometimes was gender neutral, again from the context. In the late 70s there was a move to things like "postman => postal worker", "chairman => chairwoman or chairperson", "bowman => archer", "stewardess => flight attendant", etc. But never "they" as singular. Sometimes one saw "his or hers", "he or she", etc., but rarely as it is kinda clunky to use.