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From: decot@cwruecmp.UUCP (Dave Decot)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.singles,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Obfuscatory? Personal Pronoun
Message-ID: <966@cwruecmp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Feb-84 19:31:43 EST
Article-I.D.: cwruecmp.966
Posted: Thu Feb  9 19:31:43 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 08:14:35 EST
References: <155@ubc-vision.UUCP>, <2474@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: CWRU Computer Engr. Cleveland, Ohio
Lines: 12

The genderless third person singular pronouns in common use ("their",
"they", "them") is not always used in an obfuscatory context.  I have
never used it in such a context, but I often say things like

    If someone calls me, ask them to leave their name and number.

Here I am not trying to "hide" anything, I seriously do not know the gender
of the person I am talking about.  Any clear way to say the above without
using the "incorrect" pronouns seems to require many more words.

Dave Decot		 "Non-Americans are people, too."
decvax!cwruecmp!decot    (Decot.Case@rand-relay)