Is "female" offensive?

Trincapinones@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 246 points –

I am not a native English speaker and I have sometimes referred to people as male and female (as that is what I have been taught) but I have received some backlash in some cases, especially for the word "female", is there some negative thought in the word which I am unaware of?

I don't know if this is the best place to ask, if it's not appropriate I have no problem to delete it ^^

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And to go out of your way to avoid saying “woman” makes you sound like some kind of incel weirdo, and you don’t want that.

I'd just like to emphasise this. It's not that using a different term is intrinsically bad, it's just that the people who tend to do it are not cool and you don't want to look like you're associated with them.

When I was growing up, saying woman was offensive, because it made people feel old. So we would say "girl". But now It's flipped. Saying "girl" makes people feel too young, apparently.

I'm still kind of adjusting. The word "woman" still feels icky to me because I was berated for saying it as a kid.

Huh, interesting. Which generation are you from, out of curiosity?

I'm a millennial. It could also have been regional as well, I have no clue.

It's ridiculous that a perfectly fine word is seen as insult used by a certain type of people.

It's ridiculous that a perfectly fine word is seen as insult used by a certain type of people.

That’s how association works

I can have the best and most lasting solution to a problem ever, but my company still won’t allow me to put “THE FINAL SOLUTION” in marketing copy.

And they shouldn’t.

The VP of product messaged me a couple weeks ago after some back and forth about some work. She asked if I had some time to talk about the final solution. I went "uhhhh so long as we don't call it that"

I'm like 90% sure she had no idea why that phrase is reserved.

So you say ... The word describing a biological fact, and a national socialist euphemism for mass murdering millions of people are the same?

So you say ... The word describing a biological fact, and a national socialist euphemism for mass murdering millions of people are the same?

Do you even hear yourself?

Engage in good faith or sod off.

If it has negative connotations, it's not a perfectly fine word.

Negative connotations to whom? If those described do not like the term it should not be used. Basic human dignity, just like using one's preferred pronouns.

Welcome to language my friend. Always has, always will.

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