4 ms·

I apologize for an off-topic, but this question has been itching for a while and I just couldn't resist: "... did so specifically to solve his or her immediate

I apologize for an off-topic, but this question has been itching for a while and I just couldn't resist: "... did so specifically to solve his or her immediate problem in a manner that catered to his or her unique needs ..." I understand that speaking/writing like that you come across as a super-cultured, modern liberal or whatever, but am I the only one who finds this bastardization of English awkward? I've learned this language about 8 years ago at the age of 23 (relatively recently) and even then it wasn't so crippled by such idioms, and to this day every time I stumble upon a sentence like that, it pings my ear, kinda like seeing "chickenfucker" in the middle of Declaration of Independence, totally out of place, out of context. Does anyone else feels this way?

fizx 18y ago
Kind of like "cease and desist"? Doesn't cease have the same meaning as desist? I read that the legal doublespeak comes from English roots. When the Anglos and Saxons had to start getting along, their lawyers had to use a word from both languages. Big [citation needed] here, so I hope someone obliges. I'd love to know the truth. But back to "his or her." I often use simply "her," to be both consise and politically correct. ;)
- old-gregg 18y ago
  After some googling I found something: http://plover.net/~bonds/genderedlanguage.html http://plover.net/~bonds/genderedlanguage.html "... The problem is that in the English language, the "traditional" gender-neutral form -- "his" -- happens to be the same as the masculine form. And to say or imply that an arbitrary or unknown person must be male, as those who use "his" are claimed to do, is discriminatory... "
JoelSutherland 18y ago
Most style guides have something like the following: (taken from Princeton's style guide) Don't say “he” when referring to an unspecified person. Instead, recast the sentence into the plural, or avoid the use of pronouns altogether. Example: Each student is expected to turn in his paper by the deadline. Better: Students are expected to turn in their papers by the deadline.

fizx 18y ago

Kind of like "cease and desist"? Doesn't cease have the same meaning as desist? I read that the legal doublespeak comes from English roots. When the Anglos and Saxons had to start getting along, their lawyers had to use a word from both languages. Big [citation needed] here, so I hope someone obliges. I'd love to know the truth. But back to "his or her." I often use simply "her," to be both consise and politically correct. ;)

old-gregg 18y ago
After some googling I found something: http://plover.net/~bonds/genderedlanguage.html http://plover.net/~bonds/genderedlanguage.html "... The problem is that in the English language, the "traditional" gender-neutral form -- "his" -- happens to be the same as the masculine form. And to say or imply that an arbitrary or unknown person must be male, as those who use "his" are claimed to do, is discriminatory... "

JoelSutherland 18y ago

Most style guides have something like the following: (taken from Princeton's style guide) Don't say “he” when referring to an unspecified person. Instead, recast the sentence into the plural, or avoid the use of pronouns altogether. Example: Each student is expected to turn in his paper by the deadline. Better: Students are expected to turn in their papers by the deadline.