Two other countries separated by a common language

Chris F Waigl chris at LASCRIBE.NET
Mon Oct 1 15:30:39 UTC 2007


Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
> this would be the verbal women / visual men stereotypes, right?  i
> ask because the other pairs are in the order male/female, while this
> one looks like female/male.
>
> "talkers" and "gawkers" are often paired with one another, in one
> order or the other, but without reference to sex differences.
>
> "steers" vs. "heifers" is on odd pairing, since the words do more
> than distinguish male and female bovines.  "steers" is especially
> unfortunate, since steers are *castrated*.
>
>

... while heifers are presumed to be barely sexually mature.

Chris Waigl
neither-nor

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