"chairman" gets neutered

[Joel S. Berson]

At 8/6/2011 06:46 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Today we went to a local production of _The Fantasticks_. The Chairman of
>the Board of the theater group (in her late '30s, I'd guess) ...
>
>Note too, as a curiosity, that she described herself as "Chairman" rather
>than "Chairperson."

One could inform her that "chair" has a long and honored history for
the meaning of "the occupant of the chair, the chairman, as invested
with its dignity". going back to 1658,  and is "Now also used as an
alternative for 'chairman' or 'chairwoman', esp. deliberately so as
not to imply a particular sex."

Joel

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