Fw: guido guidette

[Laurence Horn]

One additional highlight of the Virginia 
Heffernan piece in today's N. Y. Times Magazine 
section
(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24FOB-medium-t.html) 
is a nice example of a plural pronoun with 
singular sex-known but indefinite antecedent, a 
phenomenon we've discussed in the past.*  Here's 
Sammi Sweetheart, describing the role she plays 
in the MTV Reality show, "Jersey Shore", as 
quoted by Heffernan

"A Guidette takes really good care of themselves, 
has pretty hair, cakes on makeup, has tan skin, 
wears the hottest heels."

LH

*My examples of this non-epicene singular "they" include:

a.  No mother should be forced by federal 
prosecutors to testify against their 
child.                        --Monica Lewinsky's 
mother's attorney

b.  Someone left their sweater.
--note left in Yale classroom next to what was obviously a women's sweater

c.  Who knows what crazy idea she's going to come 
up with.  She may have met someone in the 
checkout line at the grocery store and she's 
planning to marry them.
--Garrison Keillor monologue, Prairie Home Companion, 3/9/02

d.  I told the guys this is the team.  But I do 
have a nucleus of guys who will be on the ice 
more. I plan to sit down with each individual and 
line out their role.
--John Cunniff, new coach of New Jersey Devils' 
(all-men's) hockey team, on being asked about 
personnel changes; NYT 11/ 8/89

e.  I challenge you to find a lesbian who doesn't 
want to see themselves portrayed on television.
--actress on Showtime's The L-Word

f.  WHO WEARS WHITE DURING THEIR PERIOD?
--from a panty-liner commercial on television


At 10:12 PM -0600 1/23/10, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com>
>To: Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
>Sent: Sat Jan 23 19:15:15 2010
>Subject: guido guidette
>
>Apparently both terms were associated with hair styles early on.
>
>...Å@
>Guidette
>
>Pat Wiedenkeller "Rules of Cool" 
>_Newsday_(Melville, NY) September 4, 1991 
>Section: PART II Page: 57
>"And if you have big hair, no question: you're a guidette ."
>Å@
>"BIG HAIR CONTEST AT A DISCO IN LONG ISLAND" All 
>Things Considered. National Public Radio July 
>18, 1992
>"Mostly they call it guidettes. Guidette is like 
>the big thing for big hair. You know, like, she 
>wears the gold jewelry and her hair's big and 
>she's got the big loop earrings and a lot of 
>makeup. That's basically called a guidette ." 
>[radio show transcript]
>
>Å@
>Arlene Levinson, Associated Press "Opening 
>teens' hearts and minds - Teachers hope high 
>school classes will help end racial 
>stereotyping" _The Dallas Morning News_ January 
>31, 1993 Page: 20A
>"Mr. Kirkland: "What's a Guido?'
>A white girl offered: "They blast their music, and they don't even dance.'
>Mr. Siegel: "Is there an equivalent? A Guidette ?' "
>
>
>Ralph Cipriano "SOUTH PHILLY STRUTS LIKE A MODEL 
>FOR CAMERAWOMAN CAROLINE MAYO SAW THE WORLD. AND 
>THE WORLD WILL SEE HER HOME." _Philadelphia 
>Inquirer_ November 29, 1997 Page: B01
>" "I want to invite all the Guidos and the 
>Guidettes to attend,'' she said, using South 
>Philly slang for corner boys and their 
>girlfriends."
>Å@
>Å@
>STANLEY CROUCH " 'UNMADE' MEN AND WOMEN HOW A 
>NOT-QUITE-DOCUMENTARY ON NEW YORK SINGLES BECAME 
>A CULT FAVORITE " _New York Daily News_ November 
>8, 1998 Page: 16
>"Italian, from Jersey City, and at least 50, 
>Monte says her struggle is to avoid the life of 
>a "Guidette , as opposed to a Guido, which is an 
>Italian guy with his shirt open and chains all 
>over the place going `Duh, duh, duh.' "
>Å@
>Å@
>Å@
>Å@
>Å@
>
>
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