tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post1139248792407242596..comments2024-03-22T23:27:47.349+00:00Comments on EAGLETON NOTES: Their Them: A Question of UsageGraham Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-87495047635946565472015-03-01T20:14:59.670+00:002015-03-01T20:14:59.670+00:00"His or hers" and "him and her"..."His or hers" and "him and her" can be quite awkward. "Their" and "them" are being widely used instead these days and I have no doubt that with the passage of the time they will become the norm. My advice regarding your pedantic chums is to lace their tea with rohypnol. At least "his or hers" recognises that 50% of the world's population is not male. Yorkshire Puddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019673884543913089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-54667759204365769722015-03-01T20:14:38.627+00:002015-03-01T20:14:38.627+00:00"His or hers" and "him and her"..."His or hers" and "him and her" can be quite awkward. "Their" and "them" are being widely used instead these days and I have no doubt that with the passage of the time they will become the norm. My advice regarding your pedantic chums is to lace their tea with rohypnol. At least "his or hers" recognises that 50% of the world's population is not male. Yorkshire Puddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019673884543913089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-17633260146850735302015-02-28T23:15:35.051+00:002015-02-28T23:15:35.051+00:00does my head in! I see facebook have recognised t...does my head in! I see facebook have recognised the problem - http://rt.com/usa/236283-facebook-gender-custom-choice/<br />58 options already offered for gender and they still had to add the choice of writing in "other" !Fi from Four Paws and Whiskershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11217307759511472654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-85181682943272042672015-02-28T19:56:47.193+00:002015-02-28T19:56:47.193+00:00Oh you are a one Spesh. You can argue it out with ...Oh you are a one Spesh. You can argue it out with Marcel when he's next here.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-50758036295508772972015-02-28T19:17:28.359+00:002015-02-28T19:17:28.359+00:00Marcel. Yes it should be as you suggest. I agree t...Marcel. Yes it should be as you suggest. I agree that it's grammatically incorrect in strict interpretation but it's a question of that which is expedient and concise in the circumstances. I could not agree more with your last point. That is simply a matter of bad grammar without a reason.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-36512685936845571742015-02-28T19:09:31.348+00:002015-02-28T19:09:31.348+00:00I'm rather afraid that that particular friend ...I'm rather afraid that that particular friend would take issue with you Virginia. He's a republican and though a keen supporter of correct grammar he's unlikely to use the term 'Queen's English'. Actually I think not offending anyone is a thankless and almost impossible goal.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-88285355315962039882015-02-28T17:47:12.873+00:002015-02-28T17:47:12.873+00:00Oh I just spit it out be it right or wrong - life ...Oh I just spit it out be it right or wrong - life is too short to worry about such things. As long as it sounds more or less right just let it be. Let's face it - if I didn't have you across the valley to sort out my mobile phone problems,I would be in a sorry state anyway! See yer termorrer fer dinner over ere!!!!!!! x Spesh 1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07044378302911602273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-70750843964134808342015-02-28T14:05:43.329+00:002015-02-28T14:05:43.329+00:00Lots there.
Should it not be 'when a well edu...Lots there.<br /><br />Should it not be 'when a well educated person (frequently a newsreader)' ?<br /><br />And people don't have a gender, they have a sex.<br /><br />I think the example you give is probably grammatically incorrect, but it does avoid clumsiness, as you say.<br /><br />My current mission (which does involve shouting at the television or radio) is to reinstate the plural form of the verb to be as in, there is holdups on the M6.Marcelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859972397663662509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-13543941533699428562015-02-28T10:15:42.876+00:002015-02-28T10:15:42.876+00:00We all love the Queen's English and I agree wi...We all love the Queen's English and I agree with you wholeheartedly but we have to be so careful these days that we don't offend anyone.<br />These are the days where you have to be walking on eggshells when referring to "others", we have to take Fiona's point into consideration as well.VirginiaChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17282569773671179047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-61387362607790727062015-02-28T09:41:08.937+00:002015-02-28T09:41:08.937+00:00You're welcome Red.You're welcome Red.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-59850017244189504322015-02-28T09:40:40.358+00:002015-02-28T09:40:40.358+00:00DeeDee I always love your straightforward down to ...DeeDee I always love your straightforward down to earth attitude.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-33702723227845443032015-02-28T02:22:28.375+00:002015-02-28T02:22:28.375+00:00You know, I'm guilty of this error sometimes. ...You know, I'm guilty of this error sometimes. Thanks for pointing it out. Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17996243850279671523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-51719870458071264082015-02-27T21:39:04.073+00:002015-02-27T21:39:04.073+00:00I agree with Fi. In print, I've sometimes see...I agree with Fi. In print, I've sometimes seen it written as s/he to cover all the bases, but that seems cumbersome. I just just "their/them" when appropriate and try not to worry about it. xoxox DeeDeeCanadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-78558998379735920492015-02-27T19:28:34.245+00:002015-02-27T19:28:34.245+00:00You've brought a dimension to the discussion t...You've brought a dimension to the discussion that hadn't even entered my head Fiona. Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-42264384146529137432015-02-27T19:20:14.737+00:002015-02-27T19:20:14.737+00:00"Free gifts" is another one I'm not ..."Free gifts" is another one I'm not keen on Mike.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-32865927868301622952015-02-27T19:18:33.410+00:002015-02-27T19:18:33.410+00:00Thank you Frances. I certainly value your support ...Thank you Frances. I certainly value your support and would have been struggling if you'd come out against my proposition.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-21314767731426549662015-02-27T19:16:46.046+00:002015-02-27T19:16:46.046+00:00Thank you Meike. I wouldn't like to challenge ...Thank you Meike. I wouldn't like to challenge you in a language quiz - and the use of words has been my job.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-2539906685713852002015-02-27T19:13:01.053+00:002015-02-27T19:13:01.053+00:00You supported me so of course your vote counted Mo...You supported me so of course your vote counted Monica. Actually as I know from playing Words With Friends (an on-line game like Scrabble) with you that you have as good as or better than vocabulary than I have.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-53762912970715074802015-02-27T18:18:08.261+00:002015-02-27T18:18:08.261+00:00In these days of gender fluidity I have had to lea...In these days of gender fluidity I have had to learn to deal with people who outwardly change gender depending on their mood, are pansexual, and it's impossible to tell their real gender. The correct form is to refer to them as them/their at all times. No he, she or it options. Suspect your friend will be shouting a lot more at the screen in future! Fi from Four Paws and Whiskershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11217307759511472654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-11919462660115680632015-02-27T17:51:33.605+00:002015-02-27T17:51:33.605+00:00I think their usage is fine...:-) But I do object ...I think their usage is fine...:-) But I do object when someone suggests something is "almost unique".Mike@Bit About Britainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08741370413282813229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-32871312553808577132015-02-27T17:47:47.893+00:002015-02-27T17:47:47.893+00:00Well, English is my first language, and you have m...Well, English is my first language, and you have my full support, Graham. The usage you describe avoids clumsiness, and is clear and (I think) correct. But I too have had some opposition!Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-25592850540667129742015-02-27T16:51:25.924+00:002015-02-27T16:51:25.924+00:00Neither is it my first language. But you have my s...Neither is it my first language. But you have my support, like Monica's!Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-4712473264155487672015-02-27T15:52:15.458+00:002015-02-27T15:52:15.458+00:00Yes you do. Not sure my opinion counts though as E...Yes you do. Not sure my opinion counts though as English is not my first language! ;)DawnTreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533307672147117843noreply@blogger.com