Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!netnews!mjd From: mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu (Mark-Jason Dominus) Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc Subject: Re: The nature of wizards Message-ID: Date: 18 Oct 90 20:41:49 GMT References: <270B296A.17D3@tct.uucp> <3975@viper.Lynx.MN.Org> <2719D550.51BE@tct.uucp> <1882@calmasd.Prime.COM> Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu Organization: University of Pennsylvania Lines: 14 In-reply-to: gdh@calmasd.Prime.COM's message of 16 Oct 90 15:32:46 GMT In article <1882@calmasd.Prime.COM> gdh@calmasd.Prime.COM (Gerald Hall) writes: Like it or not, the proper gender-unspecified singular pronoun is "they". Various 'grammar fascists' have tried to suppress this usage over the years by insisting that it is plural... It may be worth noting that this usage is well-established. The Grammar Fascists have been after us to stop using it for five hundred (!) years. (Ref.: Oxford English Dictionary, 1st Ed.) -- In some sense a stochastic process can do better; at least it has a chance. Mark-Jason Dominus mjd@central.cis.upenn.edu