The Times Feedback on what to call people over 60
Times readers write to the Feedback article about house style - the right or wrong way to write; a discussion
between them and The Times. Much in the way I use hyphens and semi-colons.
This week it was about what to call people and things of a certain age (Rose Wild, March 18th, 2017).
'Getting a life' comes to mind. Cars' ageing classes are very precise and not to be mucked about with
(veteran, classic and vintage). Human classification is more flexible. Experience and expertise influence
the word used in addition to the amount of time involved. A veteran broadcaster for example may not have
retired. Itoje, England's lock forward, is 'old beyond his years', which I think means precocious.
The Times house style discourages 'old', 'aged' and 'elderly'. Here are some alternatives:
codger a fish that lives underground, comes out at night and has TB
fart gaseous pelvic effluent or a committee member of a rugby or golf club
curmudgeon a bird that reviews films
scrote small, reclusive, wrinkled, unpleasant but has got balls
geriatric mouse takes three wickets in three balls
grump a tiger that bites your arse
grouch exclamation when a tiger bites your arse
fogey obscure green thing up your nose
pensioner he who writes letters on his mistress
 |
We are not allowed to mention certain words but this opening partnership's combined ages was more than the opposition's total |
Any suggestions?
.....................................
Since exploring my family history I have taken an interest in the nineteenth century and industrialisation.
Textiles in particular. It might be assumed that industry began with factories around 1830, but mining and
making stuff like cloth predated Arkwright. Smallholdings with a loom in the front room
for example.
'The Story of Work' by Jan Lucassen reviewed Aug 7th, Times, suggests that worker productivity increased
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, before technological advances came in. Reasons maybe
specialisation, protestant work ethic and wanting to buy stuff from the colonies. Cultural change too. Work
got attached to morality and personal identity. Sadly working conditions were dire even then.
Mechanisation has not abolished work allowing leisure to take over. We want more stuff and the office is a
social good, especially as religion and group recreations have become less attractive.
'Work is important for humans - I don't think I've ever met anyone who is able to be happy without it.
Nevertheless we must be wary of its ever increasing conquest of our lives'.
So its a book about work - I liked the bit about work and increasing productivity predating
industrialisation.
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