More on neutrality

[Mark Mandel]

KILL!

On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 8:31 AM, JAMES A. LANDAU Netscape. Just the Net You
Need. <JJJRLandau at netscape.com> wrote:

> On Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:50:25 Zulu minus 0400 Wilson Gray wrote:
> <quote>

...
> Birds are the exception. No one speaks of flocks of ganders, drakes,
> or roosters. Indeed, most people that I know always refer to mallards
> as "ducks," despite the fact that any fool can plainly see that the
> birds are all drakes. (I'd bet that most people don't even know the
> words, "gander" and "drake," anymore. I had to study over it awhile
> myself to come up with "gander.") OTOH, a Franco-Canadienne once
> pointed out that, if on had a set consisting of one thousand femmes et
> one chien, then on would refer to that set with the masculine pronoun.
>
> </quote>
>
> Very simple, Wilson.  That is known as being "gander-neutral".
>

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