Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
PC World
An acquaintance of mine (female) has referred to a fireman as a "fire-person".
Presumably the PC equivalent of firemen, is fire-people. Call me old fashioned, but that sounds like a 1960s rock group.
This particular piece of social re-engineering hasn't really caught on though, has it?
Tags for Forum Posts: Fireperson, firepeople, villagepeople
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Of course we should just use Ms to refer to married and unmarried women and girls, as an abbreviation for Mistress from which both Missus and Miss derive - just as Mr refers to both Mister and Master. That's if we have to use titles at all - I don't, unless forced to. These - Ms + Mr - are just signals that we are commoners so have no right to more aristocratic titles. It's an arcane practice which has become so ordinary that it's not challenged, except by pedants like me.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Pam, how are blokes expected to know who they may court, if the distinction between Miss and Mrs is removed? (is that not also the historical reason for rings on the finger?). PC World leads to confusion.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Not a pedant, Pam, but - I have the strong impression - a reformer. And like all true reformers, concerned to rescue language from the old aristos, and modern spin-doctors and newspeakers.
Incidentally, as you've rightly raised the issue of class, can I also challenge the term "operative". It really is time we properly buried Frederick W. Taylor.
'I can say, without the slightest hesitation,' Taylor told a congressional committee, 'that the science of handling pig-iron is so great that the man who is ... physically able to handle pig-iron and is sufficiently phlegmatic and stupid to choose this for his occupation is rarely able to comprehend the science of handling pig-iron.
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Permalink Reply by Inkjetpack on
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Firefighter is used equally for both male and female operatives, but females are disallowed in practice from dealing with certain chemical, biological and radioactive incidents due to the higher risk of affecting reproduction, both in the incident itself and the preventative measures operating personnel are obliged to submit to – some in the service hold the opinion that a pre-requisite of joining means you should submit to the same risks whatever your gender and that is true equality in action.
Fire engine is frowned upon; fire appliance is the correct term.
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male and female operatives
Agree with Cllr. Alan Stanton. Not sure if "operative" qualifies as a PC term, but it certainly qualifies IMHO, as one of the most ghastly pieces of ugly, distorted English to come out of (presumably) local councils, who have a poor record for plain English.
IMO, "operative" should be used in the context of machinery that is either operative or inoperative and not in relation to real live human beings with names and faces and lives. It's insulting, de-humanising and has totalitarian undertones.
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I frown on fire "appliance" which suggests something of kitchen size, like an extinguisher.
But I wonder who frowns upon "fire engine" (some committee perhaps?) and more to the point, why is it "frowned upon"?
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Mr Hole, its been brought to my attention that you are displaying counter-revolutionary tendencies.
Inkjetpack has already informed you that "fire appliance is the correct term". Is at least this much clear to you?
You will not be warned again, before being in line for re-education and being added to the list of known subversives.
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Fire engine is a generic term much like car, which you can then define further into sub types like saloon, estate, etc. Firefighters use appliance as it refers to both the carrier and the capability. In addition, there are other definitions which have both current and historical connotations.
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I'm sticking with Fire Engine, even if I've been informed of the supposed "correct term" and my private usage is un-approved by the thought police.
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"Operative" is more than a generic term, its vague, non-descript and insolent.
Harringey's rubbish trucks had the slogan "Caution: Operatives working at rear".
Why not just call Haringey's rubbish collectors the sub-type "labour unit" and be done with it?
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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I now object to the use of the word Ladybird. Is there an acceptable substitute?
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