I am not sure.
After all, some people try to excuse the behaviour of a certain septuagenarian president-to-be only with "boys will be boys" ...
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- Thread starter Spang
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I am not sure.
After all, some people try to excuse the behaviour of a certain septuagenarian president-to-be only with "boys will be boys" ...
My friends and I might say, let's have a girls night out. I know when my mom and aunt were alive they would have a card night with "the girls ". I don't think it was due to any false sense of wanting to be considered younger than they were, but more of a playful, youthful "mind" thing as in , "girls just want to have fun".
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
The alternative is typically "Miss", but it feels strange to address an "older" women that way.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
Maybe I was being unintentionally rude on the other thread, but what would be the correct term to describe someone aged say 60-75 years old?
Baby, infant, child, teenager, youth, middle-aged and then it skips to elderly? What is the correct term for the stage between middle-aged and elderly? If "old" is the wrong term to use for that age group, then what is the right one?
Baby, infant, child, teenager, youth, middle-aged and then it skips to elderly? What is the correct term for the stage between middle-aged and elderly? If "old" is the wrong term to use for that age group, then what is the right one?
Maybe I was being unintentionally rude on the other thread, but what would be the correct term to describe someone aged say 60-75 years old?
Baby, infant, child, teenager, youth, middle-aged and then it skips to elderly? What is the correct term for the stage between middle-aged and elderly? If "old" is the wrong term to use for that age group, then what is the right one?
That's a good question, young woman.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
Maybe I was being unintentionally rude on the other thread, but what would be the correct term to describe someone aged say 60-75 years old?
Baby, infant, child, teenager, youth, middle-aged and then it skips to elderly? What is the correct term for the stage between middle-aged and elderly? If "old" is the wrong term to use for that age group, then what is the right one?
Senior citizen.
The real question is, why bring age into it at all? And that becomes a question of context.
For example, if I say that I saw an old man playing Frisbee in the park with his dog, that evokes a certain mental picture, while saying that I saw a boy playing Frisbee in the park evokes a different mental picture.
OTOH, if I said in a thread that FortyTwo is a young man, and that I'm giving him leeway because of that, that statement would be both (a) true, and (b) condescending. The same would be the case if I referred to Capstan as "old man."
That's because, in the context of a discussion board like this one, age isn't relevant unless one wishes to convey that someone needs to be excused as not quite fully competent because of lack of experienced/deteriorating facilities, or one just wants to be condescending for the heck of it.
Now, I for one don't mind being called old. I am old, after all. And if someone wants to do it to be condescending, that's fine with me also, since that reflects on the speaker, not on me.
For example, if I say that I saw an old man playing Frisbee in the park with his dog, that evokes a certain mental picture, while saying that I saw a boy playing Frisbee in the park evokes a different mental picture.
OTOH, if I said in a thread that FortyTwo is a young man, and that I'm giving him leeway because of that, that statement would be both (a) true, and (b) condescending. The same would be the case if I referred to Capstan as "old man."
That's because, in the context of a discussion board like this one, age isn't relevant unless one wishes to convey that someone needs to be excused as not quite fully competent because of lack of experienced/deteriorating facilities, or one just wants to be condescending for the heck of it.
Now, I for one don't mind being called old. I am old, after all. And if someone wants to do it to be condescending, that's fine with me also, since that reflects on the speaker, not on me.
Does anyone have a good idea about what the correct term is for people aged 60-75? I just want to know if using "old" is wrong as it seemed to be jumped on by people on here.
Hmm, elderly is not really considered rude here, well, as far as I know.
Hmm, elderly is not really considered rude here, well, as far as I know.
I don't mind elder/elderly or even older. Just not "old" please, lol. Old just sounds like that's it...you're done.
Okay, thank you. I will use "elder woman/man" in future.
That sounds okay and not rude?I'm 64, and I balk at thinking of myself as a Senior Citizen, even though I DO feel my age in certain ways: the threadlike wrinkles in my skin, the way I feel stiff after sitting for more than maybe 30 minutes...
Meh. Since I can't regenerate like Dr Who, I'd rather be old than dead.
Meh. Since I can't regenerate like Dr Who, I'd rather be old than dead.
MadamSarcastra
MadamSarcastra, over & out.
Upside: I still occasionally get carded for booze (at places who don't know me).
Suck side: I constantly get called "Ma'am"....
When did I transition from Miss to Ma'am??? 
LMAO
It just stings a bit. But it's a hell of a lot better than some 20-something calling me things like "Honey" or "Sweetie" while waiting on/helping me. Those are terms of affection for friends & loved ones.... to a complete stranger, that sh*t is just downright condescending.
Suck side: I constantly get called "Ma'am"....
When did I transition from Miss to Ma'am??? LMAOIt just stings a bit. But it's a hell of a lot better than some 20-something calling me things like "Honey" or "Sweetie" while waiting on/helping me. Those are terms of affection for friends & loved ones.... to a complete stranger, that sh*t is just downright condescending.
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You call them 'women'
Girls and boys are children.
No need to change past man or woman
I don't quite like 'lady' personally. I hear that Beastie Boys song-- Hey Lady!
AeryFairy
Anachronism
I use 'girls' for myself and people my age on occasion... I refer to a certain group of female friends as "the girls" ("having lunch with the girls" etc.). But in a professional setting I'd definitely find it condescending, and I'd also probably find it quite patronising if someone much older than me referred to me as a girl, although that would depend on context.
Lady is an odd one. Husband and I call our two cats "the ladies", so now it mostly makes me think of that.
Back when I worked on a market stall, I once had to explain to a coworker (whose first language was not English) the subtle difference between "Hi ladies!" to call out to a group of women, and "Hey lady!" to call out to one woman on her own
Lady is an odd one. Husband and I call our two cats "the ladies", so now it mostly makes me think of that.
Back when I worked on a market stall, I once had to explain to a coworker (whose first language was not English) the subtle difference between "Hi ladies!" to call out to a group of women, and "Hey lady!" to call out to one woman on her own
Eh, you may want to try and explain that one! It might be that I just don't quite get the context? Was he trying to get someone's attention in order to make a sale? And therefore "hey, lady!" would be too direct?Back when I worked on a market stall, I once had to explain to a coworker (whose first language was not English) the subtle difference between "Hi ladies!" to call out to a group of women, and "Hey lady!" to call out to one woman on her own
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