I was leaving a restaurant in Issaquah (about 20 minutes East of Seattle) and this sign caught my eye:
After a double take, I realized that, no, I hadn’t gone back to the 1950’s, and, yes, this sign was for real.
Oh, the images this conjures…
Honey, I’m home! I just got back from my 1 Man Office. Would you mind bringing me my smoking jacket? That’s swell, hon. Now, when will my dinner be ready?
Okay, it’s just a crusty old sign, but it’s a contact point. A contact point that’s not message responsible. How many prospective tenants have they alienated?
At least half, I’d guess.
Yup. Gender-neutral language is important–and it can cause some grammar issues. Yet I believe that you can have good grammar AND good (non-sexist, smoothly worded) taste.
Just moments ago, I rewrote a line in an article I’m about to post on my site, from a well-known PR guru.
The original contained this very common grammatical howler, in an attempt to be gender-neutral:
“Of course, the journalist knows better, but nonetheless, they expect releases to
be written in the third person.”
I could have used the awkward “he or she” instead of “they”, but instead, I did it this way:
“Of course, journalists know better, but nonetheless, they expect releases to
be written in the third person.”
And yet I still see lots of people either getting very awkward or using phrases like “manning a table.” Even lots of women will say that. I say “staffing a table.”
Shel Horowitz, copywriter, author, speaker
Blogging on the intersections of marketing, media, politics,
ethics, and sustainability:
http://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/
Interesting. I always say “she” if I don’t know the sex of the person or thing I am referring to. It is funny how often that will raise eyebrows. Even though it isn’t grammatically correct (yet), I’m a full supporter of the word “they” when referring to a “he or she” situation. If enough of us use it, it will eventually become correct.