Words....

Me, when I read or hear words loaded with testosterone yet referring to women too:

I'm afraid I can hold it in no longer. I'm talking about the words we use in everyday conversation and how they shape the way we think. And while I've read studies that claim language has little or no bearing on how we view things as a society, I beg to differ.

I've been reading a good many books by female authors lately, and am struck by their use of masculine terms, even when describing female characters. My pet peeve: manning the desk. One author, after using this phrase, went on to name four women who were at the desk. She did this six times in the book. Why not use staffing the desk instead? At least that allows for any gender. Sadly I know where those phrases come from. In English, we are so accustomed to the masculine being the default position and standard, even women have trouble coming up with ways to include women.

Another author referred to her protagonist as the "odd man out." Her protagonist? A woman.

The other night, while cruising past the TV when the Big Bang Theory was on, Raj was extolling the virtues of Howard's role as an astronaut, when he mentioned the manned Space Station. He then went on to say something about the men and women who made up the Space Station team. While staffing the Station may sound a bit awkward, there must be another term that is more inclusive and descriptive of who is actually in space. 

Speaking of TV, there is a new show called MasterClass, meaning the most advanced class. The pinnacle of education if you will. Mmmmm.

Master bedroom and master bath -- terms unapologetically masculine and meaning the the main, or large rooms. Even though women use those rooms. I understand realtors are starting to ditch those terms when showing houses. About time.

Let's not forget the classic when referring to humans on the planet: mankind. Really? Without women, mankind wouldn't be around long, now would it....

OK. I'm done. Until I go off on how we refer to other living creatures on the planet and how our sense of ownership has shaped our lousy behavior. But that's a rant for another day.