#680 Usage PC

I’ve spoken before about our weirdness when it comes to gender-specific words. Weird because English is one of the few languages that really is largely non-sexist.
Others, especially the romance languages, assign genders to every word. And do so with both suffixes and articles.
Yesterday I wrote about a condition known in English as the frizz. In Spanish that translates as “el frizz.” Apparently, at least to Spanish linguists, frizz is masculine. No wonder women hate it so much.
I’ve also made mention in the past of our tendency in the employment of language PC to approach nonsensical states, as in converting the word “chairman” to “chairperson” and then deciding on the shorter “chair.”
Either he or she is the “Chair” of the committee.
As I’ve said, gender seems preferable to being named after a piece of furniture.
My Microsoft Word grammercheck includes what I like to call PC-Usagecheck, or possibly just PC-check to avoid confusion with PC Usage as in personal computer usage. It’s always underlining gender-specific words with a green squiggly, then suggesting more acceptable socio-lingual alternatives.
The other day it hit me with two of them. The first was the word “craftsman.”
Sorry. I was just writing along and used it unthinkingly. Partly because at the time I actually was referring to a male craftsman.
PC-check underlined it, so when I right-clicked on it while I was going through my first edit, I naturally was expecting to see one or two alternatives—possibly “craftperson,” or in the chairperson/chair tradition maybe just “craft.”
I’m a craft.
Good, I hope you’re handy.
But lo and behold, PC-check fooled me altogether. It suggested “artisan.” Apparently, we’ll just avoid that whole craft movement thing and slip over to a PC synonym.
Man oh man, I mean, person oh person, I love the 21st century.
So not long after that, I chanced to use the word “statesman.” Got the green squiggly. I was hoping for “statesperson.” Or possibly just “states.” She’s a great “States.”
But no. “Diplomat” or “Political leader.” Boring.
Although I must admit, I always thought diplomats were automated coin-operated places where you could get dips.
Until they went to work as PC-check programmers.
America, ya gotta love it.