chair/ -man/ -woman

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/18/2012 11:31 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Now that I think of it, I can recall (1980s) when "Chairwoman" was a no-no
>because it sounded kind of like "Charwoman."
>
>That may have started as a joke (I hope so), but the woman who mentioned it
>to me seemed quite serious.  She preferred "Chair."

And we all know -- don't we? -- that "chair" in this sense goes back
even before the Tea Party.  Chair, n.1, sense 9.b, "Often put for the
occupant of the chair, the chairman", from 1659.  It's time to revise
various acts and bylaws, including that of the SEC.

Joel


>JL
>
>On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:21 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: chair/ -man/ -woman
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I believe these titles are usually listed in entity by-laws or similar
> > articles of incorporation.
> >
> > DanG
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:12 AM, Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: chair/ -man/ -woman
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >        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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> > >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
>--
>"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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