I don’t usually blog about this topic. But something arose on Facebook this week that made me
realize I have one that bugs the heck out of me.
I hate being called a “girl”. Some people who commented
thought that it’s no big deal. I wonder if they’re younger than I am. I’m of
the generation who fought hard to get equal rights (not that we have them yet) and
am sensitive to anything that smacks of condescension and belittling. To me,
that does it. I never, ever call a woman a girl in my writing, unless I want to
portray a despicable male chauvinist character. I think it’s equivalent to
being called “the little lady”. I have actually called the speaker of that term
“little man” just to illustrate how ridiculous it is. (Especially since I'm neither short nor slight.) I haven’t gone as far as
calling the “girl” speaker a “boy” because that term has such racial overtones.
There’s no need to comment if you disagree with me about my
pet peeve word. But I would like to hear what your pet peeves are, and if you
use them in your writing.
