Incorrect use of the Word

I was browsing the Word merchandise store this afternoon and noticed that the T-shirts come in two styles: mens and, er, girls. I assume from this that Word’s female demographic is primarily adolescents. In which case, where’s all the Britney stuff?

From Wikipedia:

"The word woman can be used generally, to mean any female human, or specifically, to mean an adult female human as contrasted with girl. The word girl originally meant "young person of either sex" in English; it was only around the beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically a female child. Nowadays girl sometimes is used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman. During the early 1970s feminists challenged such use, and use of the word to refer to a fully grown woman may cause offence. In particular, previously common terms such as office girl are no longer used."

I think its two styles not sizes

You then pick the size in the style you want.

Lee Rimmer | 5 October 2008 - 7:42pm

Correct

Corrected

Martin | 5 October 2008 - 7:47pm

Mind you

Large men's would look fitted on me

Lee Rimmer | 5 October 2008 - 8:19pm

My wife ...

... takes a women's medium. Is that the same as a girl's extra large?

Martin | 5 October 2008 - 9:02pm

Are you working for Q, Martin?

I mentioned this to my wife over breakfast. She suggested whoever had got their knickers in a twist over this might like to get a life.

(But then she does have more important things to worry about, like cooking my breakfast and making sure my house is kept nice.)

Fraser M | 6 October 2008 - 8:23am

I reckon Martin may be working for PC World

or Lambeth council.

Lee Rimmer | 6 October 2008 - 11:05am

again, paging Eddie G

but I think the correct word is 'birds'...

ivan | 6 October 2008 - 10:54am

Naaaaaaaaaaaaah...

It's 'chicks' innit?

stimpy | 12 October 2008 - 6:57pm

Wouldn't it be great if we could all agree on everything?

No.

Mens and "girls" just makes the mag. look a bit sad and dated. But if that's how you like it, then that's fine.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 2:09pm

'Girls'

Is a pretty standard description in online t-shirt shops. Threadless, which is probably the most famous t-shirt shop on the web, and certainly the most loved, uses the term 'Girly'.

Fraser Lewry | 6 October 2008 - 2:22pm

Yes, I'm sure ...

....girlpower knows no bounds.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 2:36pm

Straw poll in the office

Women don't mind being called Girls. Men really don't like it.

Lee Rimmer | 6 October 2008 - 2:51pm

Was that the same ...

... kind of straw poll that has McCain with an 8 point lead?

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 2:54pm
Lee Rimmer | 6 October 2008 - 3:02pm

Ah, that blight of the 21st century:

Vicarious offence-taking.

Archie Valparaiso | 6 October 2008 - 3:32pm

Wrong again

Surprised, not offended. As has been touched upon in other related threads, context is everything. Of course I'm not offended by the use of the non-equivalent terms "mens and girls". But in the context of a mag. read primarily by middle aged men, its use seems somehow inappropriate. For what it's worth FraserM, my wife said it was sloppy.

And if you are denying this is a valid discussion for debate then you really are burying your head in the sand.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 3:58pm

Er, try reading first, Martin

I was - fairly clearly, I thought - referring to the reaction of Leedsboy's cow-orkers.

Archie Valparaiso | 6 October 2008 - 6:36pm

Er, not clear enough Archie

Perhaps if you'd replied to Leedsboy's post it would have been clearer. But I apologise if I misinterpreted your post.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 7:10pm

Mind yer indents

Try replying to Leedsboy yourself (just put "Test" or something; I'm sure he won't mind) and watch what happens.

Any road, no harm done. Onwards and upwards.

Archie Valparaiso | 6 October 2008 - 8:28pm

Of those who felt it necessary to respond

not one seems to think there's something genuinely noteworthy going on here.

Now, either the majority of us are a bunch of Alf Garnett types or there simply isn't anything of significance to see.

Personally, I'm quite enjoying the change from being called a pasta-knitting, hand-wringing liberal.

Fraser M | 6 October 2008 - 3:58pm

Good grief

You're actually arguing about the use of a word on a white-label service that the magazine probably has absolutely no control over?

Absolutely amazing.

Caerys | 6 October 2008 - 4:13pm

Go (ahem) Girl!

Lee Rimmer | 6 October 2008 - 4:19pm

No...

...The Durutti Column are amazing. This is just passing the time while I'm waiting for something more interesting to do.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 4:32pm

CD arrived today

Will give it a go. Sadly whilst there is a track called The Missing Boy and one called Women on it, there is no track the refers to a Girl. That would have been too funny.

Lee Rimmer | 6 October 2008 - 4:44pm

I just bought ...

... the new John Metcalfe album, on the strength of the track I heard on the last Word CD, and the fact that he played on some early DC albums. Haven't had it off the CD player since I got it. Sort of a strange mix of John Barry, Moby and Steve Reich.

Martin | 6 October 2008 - 4:53pm

'Tis a funny one

Whilst I should object to being called a 'girl' in my early 40s it is such a frequently used term that I think its hard to get over-excited about it. However, it seems less common to find men being described as 'boys'. Why is that ? I work with students and happily use the term 'girls' but if ever I refer to a 'boy' I find myself apologising along the lines that, well, he just looked so young, even though he may be 21 !

Janice | 10 October 2008 - 12:12pm