Usage High Horse

[susandennis]

Hey, where's drood?

And not entirely unconnected, why does everyone insist on using the words sex and gender interchangeably? Gender is a fine word that works beautifully in lots of cases and is so rarely used. Sex is not a bad word but is it necessary to use when one means gender? And is it necessary for me to get all worked up over this??? This is a job for a professional writer.

Where's drood?

Comments

[geordie.livejournal.com]

Connecters have gender, but I've never seen one have sex.

"Enhance your calm" ;-)

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not going to do it while you're watching!

[susandennis]

I just tripped over a male 9 pin here by the computer chair... was it your suggestion working my imagination or did it look like it really wanted a cigarette??

[qnetter]

Actually, "sex" is the proper word in many of those cases.

From the American Heritage Dictionary, the #1 definition:

The property or quality by which organisms are classified as female or male on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions.

But the #3 definition is:

The condition or character of being female or male; the physiological, functional, and psychological differences that distinguish the female and the male. See Usage Note at gender.

There is a usage note associated with the definition of "gender" that defines it more sharply, but it is by no means authoritative:

Usage Note: Traditionally, gender has been used primarily to refer to the grammatical categories of “masculine,” “feminine,” and “neuter,” but in recent years the word has become well established in its use to refer to sex-based categories, as in phrases such as gender gap and the politics of gender. This usage is supported by the practice of many anthropologists, who reserve sex for reference to biological categories, while using gender to refer to social or cultural categories. According to this rule, one would say The effectiveness of the medication appears to depend on the sex (not gender) of the patient, but In peasant societies, gender (not sex) roles are likely to be more clearly defined. This distinction is useful in principle, but it is by no means widely observed, and considerable variation in usage occurs at all levels.