@[email protected] to [email protected]English • 3 months agoIt's your first date and she/he asks what type of music you like. What's the guilty pleasure you won't tell her/him about?message-square117fedilinkarrow-up180arrow-down13
arrow-up177arrow-down1message-squareIt's your first date and she/he asks what type of music you like. What's the guilty pleasure you won't tell her/him about?@[email protected] to [email protected]English • 3 months agomessage-square117fedilink
minus-squareAlinorlink40•3 months agoIt doesn’t though. They has been used for singular without knowing the gender for a long time.
minus-squareEvkob (they/them)linkfedilink27•3 months agoSingular “they” actually predates singular “you”.
minus-square@Fondotslink21•3 months agoMy friend forgot their umbrella at the office. They nervously answered the phone. They’re a lazy motherfucker. I gave my friend a hug and wished them a speedy recovery. Any of those sound unusual, or like they’re referring to more than one person?
minus-square@[email protected]linkfedilinkEnglish1•3 months agoI was taught this very aggressively in school, but it turns out that it’s just not true and there’s a long history of singular they.
Because “they” refers to multiple people?
It doesn’t though. They has been used for singular without knowing the gender for a long time.
Like at least since English has been a language.
Singular “they” actually predates singular “you”.
My friend forgot their umbrella at the office.
They nervously answered the phone.
They’re a lazy motherfucker.
I gave my friend a hug and wished them a speedy recovery.
Any of those sound unusual, or like they’re referring to more than one person?
I was taught this very aggressively in school, but it turns out that it’s just not true and there’s a long history of singular they.