G-Word?

[Sqad]

I can guess the significance of the N word.........but despite reading the newspaper and asking various people......I cannot find the meaning of the G-word.

I know it is politically incorrect......because everyone is saying so.............help!

[pixie373]

Just read jno's link. Did they actually release that?? I have heard a few old songs (although can't name a single one of them now) about "little girls". Shudder!

[McMouse]

I suspect the PC brigade will be out there 'G' spotting.

[pixie373]

No, methyl :-\

[jackthehat]

The word 'Girl' is not now, never has been and never will be Politically Incorrect.

My inference of the issue is that his comment, “I am not sure I can live that down - being beaten by a 19-year-old girl,” Mark Beaumont is saying that his sense of his own masculinity is somehow more diminished than it would have been had a 19 year-old boy bested him....that it came as a surprise to him that a 'girl' could beat him.
It is quite a dismissive comment towards his opponent.

[jubieanna]

more sexist than pc then jack

[237SJ]

I agree with Jackthehat.

[Zeuhl]

This is not new.

I remember having the debate with the national Sales Director of the multinational i worked for in 1993. She forbade casual references to female colleagues as 'the girls' as she believed it was demeaning.

But then she was American, and even then wanted to know how many black or disabled people I had included in our TV and press ads.

My view is that the english language is a bit short of terms for 'female people'.

It's all down to context, but 'Men' and 'Women' can seem over formal, and whilst we have dependent on context, a lot of options for males; men, guys, boys, chaps, blokes, fellas, lads; for females we only have 'women' or 'girls'.

[anotheoldgit]

Surprised no one has mentioned that we had already had a lengthy debate on this.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1339129.html

[237SJ]

"For females we only have women or girls" or Doris :-)

[pixie373]

Chicks, ladies, dolls, birds...hmmm...see your point:-)

[Mamyalynne]

I remember when they messed about with BBC Question Time...

Dimbleby " The Lady in the fourth row erm sorry, I mean Woman", it made me squirm. Why not just let the presenter address people politely rather than putting restrictions on them and making it feel uncomfortable.

[Zeuhl]

Yes it's an interesting feature of gender terms

'Fellas' is informal without being demeaning; it could refer to a group of men at the Job Centre or the Golf Club or the Afghanistan front line.

'Girls', 'Ladies' or 'Chicks' are informal but don't have the same gravitas

[Prudie]

Young Girl was a massive hit in its time. Most sensible people assumed he was referring to a girl about 15 so under the age of consent not some perv hankering after a child.

[anotheoldgit]

Wenches, Lasses.

[WELSHYORKIE]

'dont do linguistics then' - according to Mrs Sqad, he doesn't, but he does have other attributes.......

[Zeuhl]

/Wenches, Lasses. /

Yes, in some contexts aog

But if you were referring of a group of male Cardiac Surgeons as 'the lads'

would it be equivalent to refer to a group of female Cardiac Surgeons as 'the lasses'?

[jomifl]

In France the only female person over the age of about 15 that you can call Mademoiselle is a schoolteacher, all the others are now Madame. So, call a woman mademoiselle as an attempt at gallantry is now an insult. Plus ça change.