sexist language

[Rahul Dhesi]

(I suppose this needs a good followup-to header, but which one?)

In article <17574 at adm.BRL.MIL> rbj at nav.icst.nbs.gov (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>I suppose we should bring up the distinction of
>Miss/Mrs. vs having only Mr. for men.

This is not an arbitrary distinction.  Men have always done the
courting and the women have always waited to be asked.  Thus the
practice developed (in more than one language, in more than one
culture, in more than one era) of single women identifying themselves
as such, so that men would know whom to court and whom to leave alone.
-- 
Rahul Dhesi         UUCP:  <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi