If he drops it (funny how I presumed the dog was male…) that would leave his mouth available to take the next, meatier bone, he sees. Maybe not a great idea…
The pronoun “he” is gramatically correct when the gender is unknown. This PC bleeep needs to obey the rules of language at least. Stupid to say “he/she” when the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown….. Libbers, get over it!!!!!
JDG, chill. Besides, language is ever-changing. Merely because in the past “he” was correct for unknown gender does not mean that it will remain that way. Grammar regularly adopts as correct what once was unknown or even incorrect.
Has the dog been neutered? All dogs are presumed to be male until the contrary is established, as all cats are presumed to be female until proven otherwise.
JDG: “The pronoun ‘he’ is gramatically correct when the gender is unknown.”
That’s not a question of grammar, it’s one of usage. If I say “Behold the moon; he is made of green cheese”, that’s grammatically correct, but factually incorrect. If I say “moon, stone made of”, that’s a grammatical error but factually correct.
JDG: “Stupid to say ‘he/she’ when the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown.”
Gosh, then what does one use when the gender is known to be male? If I point out a 6’5”, bearded individual wearing a suit and say “He’s very burly”, does my use of “he” automatically indicate an unknown gender? Well, I live in San Francisco, so it’s even money…
JDG’s sentence is itself grammatically incorrect; he/she/it is using the adjective “stupid” without a noun or verb. A more correct formation would have been “It is stupid to say…”, although the form “it is…” is stylistically weak. A stronger sentence would have been “A person who would say ‘he/she’ is stupid, because the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown.” That would merely be untrue, rather than a grammatical error and weak construction.
“Stupid is as stupid does”; that might be grammatically incorrect, but it’s idiomatically current, as well as apt.
lfanterickson about 15 years ago
If he drops it (funny how I presumed the dog was male…) that would leave his mouth available to take the next, meatier bone, he sees. Maybe not a great idea…
JerryGorton about 15 years ago
The pronoun “he” is gramatically correct when the gender is unknown. This PC bleeep needs to obey the rules of language at least. Stupid to say “he/she” when the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown….. Libbers, get over it!!!!!
cdward about 15 years ago
JDG, chill. Besides, language is ever-changing. Merely because in the past “he” was correct for unknown gender does not mean that it will remain that way. Grammar regularly adopts as correct what once was unknown or even incorrect.
Charles Brobst Premium Member about 15 years ago
He seems pretty wound up.
Ashrey about 15 years ago
Butchers.
eardroppings about 15 years ago
It’s a retreiver.
Yukoneric about 15 years ago
English needs a neuter pronoun as is the manner in many foreign languages.
NoBrandName about 15 years ago
It?
fritzoid Premium Member about 15 years ago
Has the dog been neutered? All dogs are presumed to be male until the contrary is established, as all cats are presumed to be female until proven otherwise.
JDG: “The pronoun ‘he’ is gramatically correct when the gender is unknown.”
That’s not a question of grammar, it’s one of usage. If I say “Behold the moon; he is made of green cheese”, that’s grammatically correct, but factually incorrect. If I say “moon, stone made of”, that’s a grammatical error but factually correct.
JDG: “Stupid to say ‘he/she’ when the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown.”
Gosh, then what does one use when the gender is known to be male? If I point out a 6’5”, bearded individual wearing a suit and say “He’s very burly”, does my use of “he” automatically indicate an unknown gender? Well, I live in San Francisco, so it’s even money…
JDG’s sentence is itself grammatically incorrect; he/she/it is using the adjective “stupid” without a noun or verb. A more correct formation would have been “It is stupid to say…”, although the form “it is…” is stylistically weak. A stronger sentence would have been “A person who would say ‘he/she’ is stupid, because the use of the male pronoun automatically indicates that the gender is unknown.” That would merely be untrue, rather than a grammatical error and weak construction.
“Stupid is as stupid does”; that might be grammatically incorrect, but it’s idiomatically current, as well as apt.
eardroppings about 15 years ago
fritzoid vs Joe Allen Doty
MisngNOLA about 15 years ago
Why the apostrophe in “she’s” choll? (Just yanking your chain.) :-)