Why not? Dominique Strauss-Kahn already tried to get rid of clothing, since it reveals prostitution status.

As long as my right to say "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" is not infringed upon, I have no qualms with this.

Lighten up, France.

Here in the US we're getting rid of Mrs. because the second syllable is too much work.

ArkAngel: I believe the words you're looking for are "not French"

done in one

Gordian Cipher: Well, if they're serious about the sexist thing, then they need to stop assigning every noun a gender.

Came here to say this, was beaten to it.

KrispyKritter: eh bullshiat. people will continue to use the words they've used all their life.

reminds me of Wanda Sykes don't say that's ghey TV commercial. i started using the phrase just to protest people who come on TV pushing their will on others.

/language evolves of it's own



You can't use the "R" word either (new window)

BMFPitt: Here in the US we're getting rid of Mrs. because the second syllable is too much work.

Actually I think all such titles are stupid. If you're not on a first name basis, then fark you. Exception for schoolteachers because the little runts need to have some respect. If you're teaching college though and you insist on being called "Professor" you need to get an anal stickectomy, though.

I don't use Dr even though I could, because it's also dumb. But I find the forced formality when someone replies to me with "Mr. Tastesgood" to be pretty irritating. I sign my emails or verbally introduce myself with my first name, no exceptions. That's a clue to the replier they can use it.

Plus I've been in "It's Pat!" situations. Especially when only through email and phone contact. Then what do you do. WHAT DO YOU DO?

_{/shoot the hostage}

Gordian Cipher: Well, if they're serious about the sexist thing, then they need to stop assigning every noun a gender.

tallen702 : Came here to say this, was beaten to it.

Moi aussi
.
/noun gender, the most hated part of learning French. Zut alors!

tallen702: Gordian Cipher: Well, if they're serious about the sexist thing, then they need to stop assigning every noun a gender.

Came here to say this, was beaten to it.

What? No. Gender in nouns don't correlate with social gender norms but rather serve a linguistic purpose. Ex: French for penis "verge" is feminine, while breasts ("seins") are masculine.

/hot like summer on the Seine

ElizaDoolittle: I have no problem with this. It's long overdue. Now, could all the forms please stop asking if I'm divorced? I can't think of a reason for this. It's on most medical forms I fill out. What on earth could a doctor learn by knowing I was divorced? Newt G is still ticking "married" on the same forms. This is not one of those problems that keep me up at night. But what possible use can it be to a doctor to know I'm divorced?

But how else could we properly judge you?

Newt got re-married, so that cancels out the divorces. He's right with God again.

Bacontastesgood: BMFPitt: Here in the US we're getting rid of Mrs. because the second syllable is too much work.

Actually I think all such titles are stupid. If you're not on a first name basis, then fark you. Exception for schoolteachers because the little runts need to have some respect. If you're teaching college though and you insist on being called "Professor" you need to get an anal stickectomy, though.

I don't use Dr even though I could, because it's also dumb. But I find the forced formality when someone replies to me with "Mr. Tastesgood" to be pretty irritating. I sign my emails or verbally introduce myself with my first name, no exceptions. That's a clue to the replier they can use it.

Plus I've been in "It's Pat!" situations. Especially when only through email and phone contact. Then what do you do. WHAT DO YOU DO?

/shoot the hostage

I'm okay with your entire post except the school thing. Forcing students to call their teachers by their title/last name doesn't really automatically command respect and isn't meant to either. It's more meant to establish a professional distance between teacher and student and remind the student that the teacher is part of the overseeing body - i.e., they're not friends and you're not equal. It's PURELY for authority. The respect is entirely up to the teacher's methods of teaching and the student's personality.

Knowing well enough not to curse your teacher out in his presence isn't really respect so much as it is self-preservation since it's been established that 'undermining authority' will get you in trouble. That's not true respect; that's more analogous to imperfect contrition. Unfortunately, that seems to be a good enough substitute for people and I really believe that is part of why some kids grow up to be such dicks. The only time such an arrangement is really acceptable is in the military and even then it's because the possible consequences can be fatal for everybody involved and there's STILL a good amount of cynicism present.

tl;dr: Forcing someone to call you by your title doesn't make them respect you, even school kids. If anything it makes them respect you less.

maldemer: : French for penis "verge" is feminine, while breasts ("seins") are masculine.

Which goes a long way in explaining the French.

hasty ambush: KrispyKritter: eh bullshiat. people will continue to use the words they've used all their life.

reminds me of Wanda Sykes don't say that's ghey TV commercial. i started using the phrase just to protest people who come on TV pushing their will on others.

/language evolves of it's own



You can't use the "R" word either (new window)

Now that is just plain retarded.

It makes me think of Rescue Me.
Link (new window)

ElizaDoolittle: I have no problem with this. It's long overdue. Now, could all the forms please stop asking if I'm divorced? I can't think of a reason for this. It's on most medical forms I fill out. What on earth could a doctor learn by knowing I was divorced? Newt G is still ticking "married" on the same forms. This is not one of those problems that keep me up at night. But what possible use can it be to a doctor to know I'm divorced?

That one does have a simple answer. Power of attorney is automatically assumed by a spouse if you are incapacitated during a medical procedure. They need to know if you are divorced so if you are out your ex can't come along and claim power of attorney.

POA may not be the correct legal term but it is essence the same thing.

maldemer: What? No. Gender in nouns don't correlate with social gender norms but rather serve a linguistic purpose. Ex: French for penis "verge" is feminine, while breasts ("seins") are masculine.

The idea that language gender has anything to do with biology or masculinity/femininity is an annoying canard. Really, your efforts to learn a language that has genders will go much better if you stop clinging to that myth. At least as far as European languages go. Maybe it works differently in Arabic or Japanese. I wouldn't really know.

Gordian Cipher: Well, if they're serious about the sexist thing, then they need to stop assigning every noun a gender.

Voila!!

ciberido: The idea that language gender has anything to do with biology or masculinity/femininity is an annoying canard. Really, your efforts to learn a language that has genders will go much better if you stop clinging to that myth

From what I learned (taking four years of French), the gender of French nouns don't have anything to do with anything that makes any sense to a logical person.

In fact, here's a 140 page book titled "The Rules for the Gender of French Nouns".

/at the end of the day, your best bet is to just memorize the damn things, because any attempt at figuring out a regular rule will fail due to numerous exceptions.

ciberido:
The idea that language gender has anything to do with biology or masculinity/femininity is an annoying canard. Really, your efforts to learn a language that has genders will go much better if you stop clinging to that myth. At least as far as European languages go. Maybe it works differently in Arabic or Japanese. I wouldn't really know.


Collaborator! Goddamned French sympathizer! If you were a real 'merican, you'd have said "The idea that language gender has anything to do with biology or masculinity/femininity is an annoying duck.

France bans word for 'Miss' from official documents because it suggests a woman is 'available'

Here, they give their phone number, too.

Gone In 26 Minutes: tl;dr: Forcing someone to call you by your title doesn't make them respect you, even school kids.

Yeah, OK. I was using "respect" as in "respect my authoritah!"

So basically I agree with you, except I don't think kids are FORCED to call teachers Mr or Mrs, it's more of a cultural and expectation thing.

maldemer: Gender in nouns don't correlate with social gender norms but rather serve a linguistic purpose. Ex: French for penis "verge" is feminine, while breasts ("seins") are masculine.

Um, so what "lingustic purpose" does that confusing bullshiat serve? Or is it left over junk from ancient etymology that no one who just wants to communicate should give a shiat about?

I'm fine with English dumping stupid stuff too, appositives for example.

Ahhhh those enlightened Europeans.

I will still use the term to seduce les belle femmes... That and all the other relevant French I learned from watching blue nuit....

Ah oui, qui est ton papa?
Fait moi venir.

Bacontastesgood: Gone In 26 Minutes: tl;dr: Forcing someone to call you by your title doesn't make them respect you, even school kids.

Yeah, OK. I was using "respect" as in "respect my authoritah!"

So basically I agree with you, except I don't think kids are FORCED to call teachers Mr or Mrs, it's more of a cultural and expectation thing.

maldemer: Gender in nouns don't correlate with social gender norms but rather serve a linguistic purpose. Ex: French for penis "verge" is feminine, while breasts ("seins") are masculine.

Um, so what "lingustic purpose" does that confusing bullshiat serve? Or is it left over junk from ancient etymology that no one who just wants to communicate should give a shiat about?

I'm fine with English dumping stupid stuff too, appositives for example.

They are basically forced since the penalty is usually detention/being thrown out of class/etc. I know it was for me back in high school (graduated in 02) and I doubt it's changed.

Gone In 26 Minutes:I'm okay with your entire post except the school thing. Forcing students to call their teachers by their title/last name doesn't really automatically command respect and isn't meant to either. It's more meant to establish a professional distance between teacher and student and remind the student that the teacher is part of the overseeing body - i.e., they're not friends and you're not equal. It's PURELY for authority. The respect is entirely up to the teacher's methods of teaching and the student's personality.

Knowing well enough not to curse your teacher out in his presence isn't really respect so much as it is self-preservation since it's been established that 'undermining authority' will get you in trouble.

By George you've done it, my good man, you cracked the case! Calling teachers by their first name inevitably leads directly to teacher sex scandals! For Fark's ratings' sake, we need to ban professor, mrs, and mr immediately!

/Facetious
//Unclear on why American English even still has Miss vs Missus. I don't think I was ever corrected the many times I mixed someone's status up even twenty years ago.

Day_Old_Dutchie: France bans word for 'Miss' from official documents because it suggests a woman is 'available'

Here, they give their phone number, too.

I had no idea that North Carolina was so comfortable with such public propositioning! Their Craigslist must be an endless train of orgies.

How to submit FARK headlines containing any references to France in two easy steps :
1. mention white flag/surrender
2. mention hygiene

how hilarious, it just gets funnier each time....

saugoof: How to submit FARK headlines containing any references to France in two easy steps :
1. mention white flag/surrender
2. mention hygiene

how hilarious, it just gets funnier each time....

You sound French.

Still unsure how Americans can call the French unwashed while you guys have a Walmart in every state.

Kell Bartok: Still unsure how Americans can call the French unwashed while you guys have a Walmart in every state.

And every single one of those walmarts sells soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, conditioner, towels, was cloths, hair brushes, manicure tools, aka pretty much everything one needs to bathe and groom themselves except for a bathtub. They even sell shower heads.

Hacker_X: Kell Bartok: Still unsure how Americans can call the French unwashed while you guys have a Walmart in every state.

And every single one of those walmarts sells soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, conditioner, towels, was cloths, hair brushes, manicure tools, aka pretty much everything one needs to bathe and groom themselves except for a bathtub. They even sell shower heads.

OMG it's true! LOL!

Bacontastesgood: Um, so what "lingustic purpose" does that confusing bullshiat serve? Or is it left over junk from ancient etymology that no one who just wants to communicate should give a shiat about?

Well, in Romance languages, it makes a difference between one meaning and another. "El papa" and "la papa" are different words with different meanings ("pope" versus "potato") in Spanish. In French, "le boum" means "bang, explosion" but "la boum" means "party." There are lists of such double-gendered or dual-gender words.

For another thing, English is a a glass house, so don't throw too many stones. You complain because French and Spanish have articles with gender, but why does English have any articles (a/an/the) at all? At least with French and Spanish, the articles convey gender and plurality. But in English, what good are they? Russian doesn't have any articles, and Russians do very well without them, so why does English?

If you had the slightest idea how difficult it is for someone learning English to master the rules of when to use "the" and when to leave the article out, or even for that matter, when "the" is pronounced more like "thee" and when it's pronounced more like "thuh" (and yes, there are rules), you might not complain.

Bacontastesgood: I'm fine with English dumping stupid stuff too, appositives for example.

Apostrophes in English are not "stupid." They serve an important function. "Its" and "it's" are not the same, no are "cant" and "can't."

It makes no more (or less) sense to dump apostrophes than it does to dump the letter "x" (which presumably we could replace with "ks" or "z" in most words).