Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
- Kate Mary
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
I absolutely agree Rob, I much prefer actress but I hate the terms authoress or poetess. I'm also rather fond of the term aviatrix for a lady pilot!
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- pete9012S
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Any thoughts? Or thoughtless?
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
I guess a man shouldn't have an opinion on this, but I do, lol!
Should be Shepherd and Shepherdess. I like some of the traditional terms.
I agree about 'authoress' - sounds a bit strange, and I think even Enid referred to herself as an 'author' rather than authoress.
I've heard people complaining about using the term 'Lioness' because its sexist...should just be 'lion' -- but somehow that sounds a bit ill-educated!
I also prefer 'steward' and 'stewardess' and 'prince and princess'. I mean...anyone who really is a hard-line feminist would surely want princes and princesses all to be 'princes''...
Sometimes the 'ess' is there for a good reason, in my view - and I fail to see why its looked on as somehow secondary or less important...but as I say, maybe a woman is better placed to say.
Should be Shepherd and Shepherdess. I like some of the traditional terms.
I agree about 'authoress' - sounds a bit strange, and I think even Enid referred to herself as an 'author' rather than authoress.
I've heard people complaining about using the term 'Lioness' because its sexist...should just be 'lion' -- but somehow that sounds a bit ill-educated!
I also prefer 'steward' and 'stewardess' and 'prince and princess'. I mean...anyone who really is a hard-line feminist would surely want princes and princesses all to be 'princes''...
Sometimes the 'ess' is there for a good reason, in my view - and I fail to see why its looked on as somehow secondary or less important...but as I say, maybe a woman is better placed to say.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Daisy
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
I can't believe any woman thought it in any way inferior until they were told so by the dear PC brigade!
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Neither do I, but being a man I'm not allowed to say it! Years of 'Facebook' training!
I also find it interesting that its acceptable for women to assume all the masculine variants - almost as if admitting that the male names are superior - so we never call both sexes 'actresses' etc.
Not sure how we got from Elfin Cottage to this, lol!
I also find it interesting that its acceptable for women to assume all the masculine variants - almost as if admitting that the male names are superior - so we never call both sexes 'actresses' etc.
Not sure how we got from Elfin Cottage to this, lol!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Daisy
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
It was the word "Authoress" on the plaque on Elfin Cottage that started us off.Rob Houghton wrote:Not sure how we got from Elfin Cottage to this, lol!
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Then let us make a bid.Rob Houghton wrote:I'll chip in an old American cent, two farthings and a Noddy badge!Courtenay wrote:Not as picturesque as Old Thatch, but if we all pitch in together, do you think we could buy it and turn it into our own Enid Blyton museum and Society clubroom?? I’ve got 86p in change to start us off with...
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
A lot of words ending in "-ess" were actually invented by the feminists of that generation, who were very proud that women were entering more careers.
- Fiona1986
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
It's nice to see the back of the house after seeing the front (and only trespassing a little to do so!). The garden's lovely, as is the back of the house, but the insides don't look like an awful lot has been done to them since Blyton's days!
I thought the "videoettes" might be more than just a slideshow-with-zoom-effect though.
Incidentally I don't think authoress/poetess/stewardess are necessary but I like actress for some reason. It's strange as we have singers, but Madonna is not a singeress, and there aren't sales assistantesses, or teacheresses. So why is it important to distinguish gender when it's an author or poet? Female poet works fine.
I thought the "videoettes" might be more than just a slideshow-with-zoom-effect though.
Incidentally I don't think authoress/poetess/stewardess are necessary but I like actress for some reason. It's strange as we have singers, but Madonna is not a singeress, and there aren't sales assistantesses, or teacheresses. So why is it important to distinguish gender when it's an author or poet? Female poet works fine.
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"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.
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"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.
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- Courtenay
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
And we've never had doctoresses, even though enabling women to join the medical profession would have been one of the more significant feminist achievements of that era!
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
- pete9012S
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Very true - it was tried apparently:
During the 19th century, attempts to overlay Latin grammar rules onto English required the use of feminine endings in nouns ending with -or. This produced words like doctress and professoress and even lawyeress, all of which have fallen out of use; though waitress, stewardess, and actress are in modern use.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
yes - interesting how we don't have teacheresses, or photographeresses, or farmeresses, or cleaneresses, or politicianesses.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Courtenay
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Or Prime Ministeresses.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
- Boatbuilder
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
Shouldn't that be Prime Mini-stress? TM is giving us plenty of that!
Last edited by Boatbuilder on 18 Jun 2018, 00:22, edited 2 times in total.
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: Elfin Cottage - For Sale!
I agree!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member