Divided by a common language

[julesjones]

There is a descriptive word which is gendered in some English dialects and not in others. I tend to use it as gendered, especially when gender is actually relevant to the context. So I'm not quite sure what the following passage is going to look like when my American publisher's editing and proof-reading team get through with it...

Bob smirked unsympathetically. "So you hired a bright young scientist for his technical ability; but you couldn't resist having a bit of fun with the fact that he _looks_ like a male version of the fluffy little blonde hired for her chest measurement and not her typing speed. And then the game turned real on you."

"And fluffy little blonds aren't even my type!"

"I know." Bob gave him an evil grin. "That's what makes it so funny."

ETA: It's a good thing that post and comment thread was a mostly serious discussion of a point of language, because my publisher *answered* it...

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Yes, I gender that word too and encourage students to. Though George Eliot, interestingly, does not, her male blondes are blondes. They also tend to be fluffy in the brains dept, and I do wonder whether the female spelling of "blonde" had that connotation even in her day.

[julesjones]

The interesting thing here is that if it's changed to 'blonde' where Steven is referring to his taste in sexual partners, and someone reads it as gendered, it will change the meaning of that passage. Right now it's clear in the text that he means he doesn't go for airhead fair-haired men, but change it to blonde and it could suggest that he means he doesn't go for women. (Which is true, but not what he's talking about here.)

[carl-allery.livejournal.com]

Yes, I also gender it, though I often wonder if I should. I think it's just habit. Since there is a different spelling, it seems right to make use of it. :) Waste not, want not, after all.

[julesjones]

A lot of the time it doesn't matter, but sometimes it is actually relevant to the meaning, as it is in that passage.

[tharain.livejournal.com]

It's Blond/Blonde over here, too. I got your meaning (very subtle) immediately. I don't know if everyone will, though.

[julesjones]

Though I used the 'divided by a common language" quote for the subject line, this is one that seems to vary quite a bit within both American and British English, both on whether people use the gendered forms, and on which of blond/blonde they use if they use only one. My editor will certainly pick up why I did it that way, but it will be interesting to see what the house style is, and whether they feel safer going for lowest common denominator (whatever they feel that to be).

Blond/blonde

[treva2007.livejournal.com]

LI has a new, updated style guide and blondes are female and blonds are male.

Re: Blond/blonde

[julesjones]

Thanks for that info. It's not something I'd have noticed on previous edits, because this is the first time I've had a piece of text where it could make a difference in how a reader interpreted it.

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Hmm... An alternate world in which English retained the cousin/cousine distinction.

[julesjones]

That could have some interesting effects.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I make the distinction too, and then wonder if (potential) readers will pick up on it.

[julesjones]

Wonder what happens if you write something where it is an actual Clue, and the publisher obliterates it via style guide?

(This actually happened to a "come" joke in the original edition of The Syndicate, because the publisher preferred to translate manuscripts from English into Porn. Fortunately Loose Id is a good deal more sensible, and put it back to English when the picked up the series.)

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

The instance I was thinking of most is a plot point, if only a minor one. Hero explaining on the phone to male sidekick that he will be spending the Festive Season with female sidekick, to male sidekick's evident disgruntlement, then carefully avoids mentioning that he saw male sidekick's other potential love interest in the company of an attractive young blonde. There's only so much disappointment a sidekick can take, after all...

[julesjones]

[snickers] I like that...

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Not that male sidekick was using his other potential love interest as a means to attracting the hero's attention or anything.. ;-)

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I do find a worrying number of our correspondents describing strapping young cricketers playing their first match as debutantes.

[julesjones]

[splorf]

I so did not need that plot bunny...