"Having just seen some expert table tennis" Brilliant. No bats I presume! Fantastic story by the way; love that.
Must admit this is a bit too much for me. I wasn't aware it was ever a derogatory label, but just simply a nickname. Is it wrong to call a man a "bloke" now too?
Can't say I'd mind being a chick as I'm more of an old broiler It was always a bit derogatory as it implies bird-witted unlike bloke which is just a lovely English word for a man...as chick is rarely used now, it does suggest the user is a Neanderthal who is being insulting.
As always. Where do we stand on stag and hen parties? 'Non-gender specific pre-marital celebrations'?
Never ever interpretted it as the bird-brained thing before. I always thought 'bird' was quite charming myself. I must be bloke-brained!
I believe there are quite a few terms that people object to, but say nothing. I know that [some] women don't like the term, bird, but put up with it. I just play safe. Public forum and all that.
Yes but even the -ette suffix has been targeted by feminist groups, just as actress, chairwoman etc all have...
Bachelorette is just an ugly word. That's the grounds I'd ban it on. I don't mind new terms that make sense, but see no reason to use a new word when a perfectly good one is still around....hence I would call a woman a chairman rather than a chair (which suggests she is a piece of furniture). I can understand actresses preferring the gender neutral word actor (a person who acts) because it sounds a serious profession, whereas actress has other connotations. I judge each word separately....having no particular agenda (other than a love of words and accuracy). Another soapbox of mine (and I have a few )....no one should use 'program' in anything other than its computer sense. 'Programme' is reserved for TV shows and sport/theatre magazines. My issue is not with Americanization but with the fact that having 2 separate terms improves clarity. So there!
I was called a bastard by Chris Chittell (aka Eric Pollard off of Emmerdale). He had a bit more class than Gordon Ramsay, who told me to fukc off at the London marathon one year.
My only brush with Saints happened a few seasons back, when I was London Rd. it was a nice sunny day and SKD was sitting outside O'Brians coffee shop. I think I nodded in recognition but thought, be cool, don't say anything stupid. In I went and found myself behind Dan Harding who was ordering food. Be cool, I thought. Let them eat their lunch without being hassled. Dan then asked one of the serving staff, "... and can I have coleslaw on that one, please?" Before I could stop myself I said, "should you be eating coleslaw, then?" Now Dan could have easily looked at me and asked "what the xxxx does it have to with you!" But he almost seemed apologetic when he replied, "it's for Kelv. You know....he's a goalkeeper, so..." And shrugged. Bless him. I just couldn't believe that I had said it!