gender-neutral pronouns as epic fails

[Dan Goodman]

Dennis Baron wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dennis Baron <debaron at ILLINOIS.EDU>
> Subject:      gender-neutral pronouns as epic fails
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Some useful historical info updated on the gender-neutral pronoun as a
> word that fails:
>
> http://illinois.edu/db/view/25/31097?count=1&ACTION=DIALOG
One singular pronoun I've encountered is a two-word phrase:   "That
person."    I've heard it mostly from people in 12-step programs;  I've
also heard it over the phone from a cop in London, Ontario.

Singular "they" -- I've never understood why it's worse in principle
than singular "you."   Then again, I've never understood why the people
who want to preserve a pure French vocabulary haven't called for
banishing "biftek" and "redingote" from French.

--
Dan Goodman
"I have always depended on the kindness of stranglers."
Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Expire
Journal dsgood.dreamwidth.org (livejournal.com, insanejournal.com)

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