BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Rusty Nails]

My point being that it's up to 'female airmen' (or their parents) to make that call, if they want to.

Sure, it's not going to be high on the list of priorities when a relation has been killed, but equally it's not up to others to tell them that it doesn't matter.

Who is telling them it doesn't matter?

 

[briantrumpet]

Who is telling them it doesn't matter?

You've confused me, as you'd just said that their parents probably don't care. I've no idea if they care or not. I'm sure Trump doesn't care.

 

[Rusty Nails]

You've confused me, as you'd just said that their parents probably don't care. I've no idea if they care or not. I'm sure Trump doesn't care.

Joining in the pedantry, saying their parents (families actually) probably don't care is not the same as 'telling them it doesn't matter'.

It is a comment based upon a personal opinion and not a corroborated thesis based on analysis of all the relevant evidence.

 

[icowden]

Actually, a good linguistic question. You can't do the 'firefighters' gambit, you can't call them 'pilots' (as that excludes the non-pilot 'airpeople'), and the latter sounds ridiculous.

It stems from a failure to understand etymology.

When these words were formed, men did not mean male. It's the plural of Man or Mann meaning human being or person. A werman was a male and wifman was a female.

So nothing wrong with airman or airmen.

 

[briantrumpet]

It stems from a failure to understand etymology.

When these words were formed, men did not mean male. It's the plural of Man or Mann meaning human being or person. A werman was a male and wifman was a female.

So nothing wrong with airman or airmen.

Etymology doesn't nail down a meaning for ever. Hell, it doesn't even nail it down for a single human lifetime. I don't think I need to consult the OED to illustrate what the accepted meanings for 'man' and woman' are in 2026.

 

[secretsqirrel]

It stems from a failure to understand etymology.

When these words were formed, men did not mean male. It's the plural of Man or Mann meaning human being or person. A werman was a male and wifman was a female.

So nothing wrong with airman or airmen.

That is etymology, however might you not feel excluded if not a man?

Would a 5 year old girl have any aspiration to be a pilot if all people talk about is airmen?

 

[First Aspect]

Why is "airman" or "linesman" concetually any more problematic than human?

Why, when "actress" existed, did society stop using it in favour of the masculine "actor"

 

[secretsqirrel]

Why is "airman" or "linesman" concetually any more problematic than human?

Why, when "actress" existed, did society stop using it in favour of the masculine "actor"

Is “actor” masculine?
“Actress” defines a particular gender, whereas “actor” doesn’t as they all act. Male has always been viewed as standard, and females are defined.

Does it matter what is in their pants if they can act?

 

[briantrumpet]

Why is "airman" or "linesman" concetually any more problematic than human?

Why, when "actress" existed, did society stop using it in favour of the masculine "actor"

FWIW, the etymology of 'human' links back to the old French 'humain(e)', the 'man' bit having nothing to do with man... it's actually the 'hum' bit that is the male part (cf 'homo') and the 'ain(e)' bit comes from the suffix '-anus' (fnarr, fnarr) as in 'humanus'.

Re actress/actor - because the sexist nature of society meant that an actress was looked down at as being a 'lesser calling' than an actor.

If you read up on the contortions that French people go through because of the ridiculous gendered language trap (e.g. 'madame le maire', because a 'maire' is masculine, but women are allowed to be mayors too), you'd be very grateful that most English is ungendered.

 

[First Aspect]

Is “actor” masculine?
“Actress” defines a particular gender, whereas “actor” doesn’t as they all act. Male has always been viewed as standard, and females are defined.

Does it matter what is in their pants if they can act?

I don't know the etymology of "actor" but since it was used in the masculine sense, that's what people took it to mean. Now they don't.

I'm not debating the whys and wherefores, just questioning to entirely different directions of travel for the same purpose.

 

[First Aspect]

FWIW, the etymology of 'human' links back to the old French 'humain(e)', the 'man' bit having nothing to do with man... it's actually the 'hum' bit that is the male part (cf 'homo') and the 'ain(e)' bit comes from the suffix '-anus' (fnarr, fnarr) as in 'humanus'.

Re actress/actor - because the sexist nature of society meant that an actress was looked down at as being a 'lesser calling' than an actor.

If you read up on the contortions that French people go through because of the ridiculous gendered language trap (e.g. 'madame le maire', because a 'maire' is masculine, but women are allowed to be mayors too), you'd be very grateful that most English is ungendered.

The Germans are fine. They can just use neuter for everything.

 

[briantrumpet]

I don't know the etymology of "actor" but since it was used in the masculine sense, that's what people took it to mean. Now they don't.

I'm not debating the whys and wherefores, just questioning to entirely different directions of travel for the same purpose.

For historical context:

 

[briantrumpet]

The Germans are fine. They can just use neuter for everything.

They could, but they don't. And woe betide you if you get it wrong.

 

[briantrumpet]

Breaking news:

 

[icowden]

Breaking news:

View attachment 13975

"Great News! Once it's April and you are using less energy because it'll get warmer, your energy prices will drop. (Spoiler: We'll be putting them back in October for 6 months...)"

I'm also waiting for "Due to the conflict in Iran and the increasing price of gas..."