[Ads-l] unisex "Sir"

Jeff Prucher 000000b93183dc86-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Wed Nov 11 01:39:50 UTC 2015


It's not at all uncommon in science fiction for underlings to address their superiors as "Sir", regardless of the superiors' gender. FWIW.
Jeff Prucher
 


     On Tuesday, November 10, 2015 5:24 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
   
 

 ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:      Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      unisex "Sir"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy (I mean "James") Olsen on the new Supergirl show addresses his evil
boss, Ms. Grant, politely as "Sir."

Not a gaffe, not a joke. Looks like the writers think it's perfectly
ordinary. James is a smooth dude who'd never make a mistake of that kind.

Or am I deluded?

JL

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


 

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
  



More information about the Ads-l mailing list