I’m aware of it, and am actually still getting into the habit of referring to women about my age or younger as women rather than girls. I still trip over it when other people use the words that way, though—I automatically think of 8-year-olds if it’s not very clear who’s being referred to.
I automatically think of 8-year-olds if it’s not very clear who’s being referred to.
Right. “Girl” really has at least two distinct senses, one for children and one for peers/juniors of many ages. “Guy” isn’t used in the first sense, and the second sense of “boy” is more restricted. The first sense of “boy”/”girl” is the most salient one, and thus the default absent further context. I don’t think the first sense needs to poison the second one. But its use in the parent comment this discussion wasn’t all that innocent. (I’ve been attacked before, by a rather extreme feminist, for using it innocently.)
I’m aware of it, and am actually still getting into the habit of referring to women about my age or younger as women rather than girls. I still trip over it when other people use the words that way, though—I automatically think of 8-year-olds if it’s not very clear who’s being referred to.
Right. “Girl” really has at least two distinct senses, one for children and one for peers/juniors of many ages. “Guy” isn’t used in the first sense, and the second sense of “boy” is more restricted. The first sense of “boy”/”girl” is the most salient one, and thus the default absent further context. I don’t think the first sense needs to poison the second one. But its use in the parent comment this discussion wasn’t all that innocent. (I’ve been attacked before, by a rather extreme feminist, for using it innocently.)