chair/ -man/ -woman

[Baker, John]

        It's a word that seems to give a lot of trouble to people when it's applied to a woman.  In my day job, I deal with and write about the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The current Chairman of the SEC is Mary Schapiro, who, as her name may suggest, is of the feminine persuasion.  I always write "Chairman," because that's her legal title.  News reports, however, often refer to her as "Chair" or "Chairwoman."

        "Chairman" does seem to have become more commonly used than when she first took office, though.  Maybe reporters and editors just got more comfortable with it, or realized it's her actual title.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9:49 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: chair/ -man/ -woman

Amy Kremer is Chairman of Tea Party Express.

When she appeared on CNN this morning, Soledad O'Brien introduced her as
"Chairman...[then dubiously] Is that  'Chairman' or 'Chairwoman'?'
Kremer sounded nonplussed: "Either one."

After the break, O'Brien reintroduced her as "ChairMAN" of the Tea Party
Express (her emphasis).

So female "chairman" is now regarded as so weird/ sexist/ Neanderthal that
it requires not only confirmation but heavy emphasis.

JL

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