The only thing more useful would be an ERE--an Emergency Rescue Etymologist. "Quick! That word! What's its origin? Hurry up, man, he's having a vowel shift!"
I attribute my relative lack of job stress to the fact that I don't have to save lives on a daily basis. "Quick! We need a one page article STAT! Hang on, miss, he just got the revisions back, you're gonna be just fine."
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As I said, though, I know that in neither case was it referring to either of us. I'm thinking about it some more, and I think I'm starting to be able to verbalize what makes me uncomfortable about it. If you have an assumption about what "most" of a particular class of people are, then I fear that this is how you judge all of them until they prove themselves otherwise to you. And most people do seem to believe that most teachers are incompetent. Heck, most teachers I know believe that most teachers are incompetent, and that they are among the rare exceptions. It's the old "Those who can, do" thing--and we buy into it ourselves! And so when I meet somebody (say a writer I pretty much idolize) and say I'm a teacher, I hate the thought that I'm starting with that as a knock against me. I hate the thought of being prejudged at all, even if that's only natural human behavior.
Of course, we're all prejudiced. The question is one of degree. I'm not claiming to be an exception.
It's kind of like--and I know that this is not the best analogy, simply because of how charged it is, but it's what comes to mind--"In my experience, blacks are vulgar, unintelligent, and dishonest. Of course, I don't mean you personally. You're an exception." (Oh, dear. If this analogy is offensive, I will delete it. It would be better, though, if you can explain to me why I'm wrong.)
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Sorry, Icarus. It was just supposed to be an exaggeration, but it wasn't very funny. I think that too many English teachers don't know nearly enough about English, but I wouldn't seriously say that most know next to nothing. But in all seriousness, I probably knew more rules of grammar and usage than my high school honors English teacher.
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I agree with Slash. If I can't hit something hard enough, it's nice to be intimate with someone who can.
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Ic, you and Cor are exceptions to many rules.
I'm not an English teacher, although I have subbed for some on occasion. I tend to be unhappily surprised at some of their usage and grammar knowledge.
Like the time I was asked to pick a grammar topic and teach it. I chose subjunctive -- and discovered that results of a previous writing assignment (graded by the teacher I was subbing for) were posted on a bulletin board. They were about hopes and wishes, and most should have used subjunctive. None did -- and this had not been corrected (although other errors had been). Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I notice some prejudice that no-one has mentioned yet.
quote: Could you imagine the utter womanliness of a woman who got her genes from two women? She'd probably need a separate house as her shoe closet.
Why is obsession with shoes considered "womanly"? Being a female myself, I find the stereotype a little offensive. I have a total of four pairs of shoes. One pair of tennis shoes, one pair of dress heels, one pair of sandals, and one pair of boots. Does this make me unfeminine?
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If I reach out my left hand from where I sit at the computer, I can reach my closet door. That's because it's rarely closed -- the shoe rack that hangs from it tends to make opening and closing it awkward . . .
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I'm not being stereo typical, but a lot of women out there think it's totally normal to spend $100 dollars on a purse. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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My husband has more pairs of shoes than me, but it's because he is saving the old ones for when general war breaks out.
So it is also possible to make a mouse from two male haploids?
I meant to look it up, but how does 1 in 480 experimental success rate compare with, say, cold fusion?
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Granted, I spend a lot on shoes too, but that's because I always go to stores that have shoe specialists. I have sensitive feet, so I always have to buy running shoes. Average pair is $85.00. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Jon, as I said, I know you weren't talking about us. And I don't doubt the truth of your observations (or rivka's). Stereotypes exist because there is some kernel of truth behind them. And I wasn't mad at you. Rather, I was exploring my own uncomfortable reaction, and trying to figure out why it bothers me when I hear statements like that even though they aren't directed at me. As I noted, it's the fear that people who don't already know me will immediately judge me based on this notion, and that rather than starting from a neutral position, I will have to begin by proving that this negative stereotype does not apply to me. Posts: 1001 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Okay. I just wanted to make it clear that I'm not bashing all English teachers or teachers in general (especially since Ruth is planning on being an English teacher, and I think she'll make a great one).
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Well, I don't think English teachers will ever be obsolete, even if a million pairs of shoes are joined together succesfully.
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I realize that making a joke about women and shoes is a bit lame, so I've thought of a better punchline for the womanly woman from two women set-up (although the punchline is really just a formality since the whole appeal of the joke in the first place was saying "womanliness...woman...two women" in the same sentence):
She'd rival Clay Aiken for girliest being in the universe.
Okay, maybe that's lame too (and the timing is off because it's a redo of a previous joke). It's so hard to make fun of girls. Especially genetic-freak girls.
So no one's read Herland? By Charlotte Perkins Gilman, also wrote The Yellow Wallpaper which most everybody's probably read. Oh well, I'm sure someone on Hatrack's read it, just didn't come into this thread.
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Of course, it was required reading for a college course. And no, it was not Women's Studies. It was a class on Utopias/Dystopias.
I guess the question whether the society in Herland is a Utopia or a Dystopia would depend on whether you're asking a man or a woman.
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I was looking for Slashy's chatting thread and found this one that reminded me of the "Are Men Necessary" thread.
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So no one's read Herland? By Charlotte Perkins Gilman, also wrote The Yellow Wallpaper which most everybody's probably read. Oh well, I'm sure someone on Hatrack's read it, just didn't come into this thread.
Define everybody. I've never even heard of The Yellow Wallpaper.
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