"A gamer should enjoy ____ time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
I know we're supposed to say his or her when gender is undetermined (although many works create their own internal egalitarianism, switching back and forth between the two, based on certain custom criteria), but why can't we just go back to accepting a singular usage for their and they? We were doing it over a century ago and it's still what sounds right to most people's ears.
It would make everything so much easier. Formal English writing is walking on eggshells without it.
Who's with me?!
::Charges off naked down the street ala Old School.::
I use their when referring to an ambiguous gender, and so do my annoyingly large number of English major friends, so...yeah.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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There's always your friend and mine, the passive voice!
"Time in the flesh pits of Callendria should be enjoyed by gamers."
Not only does it resolve the issue of pronouns, it removes those pesky subjects as well. Plus, it sounds more authoritative than the active voice. And, best of all, EDITORS LOVE IT! Seriously, anyone who is even considering becoming published by Paizo should write entirely in the passive voice.
"A gamer should enjoy eir time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
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Best practice: "Gamers should enjoy their time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
That said, I have no strong objection to the free use of "their" even when it doesn't technically agree with the subject. I remain dubious as to whether Rone's nudity is going to have an impact on the style guide, however.
Personally, I think the "enjoyment" is understood in this case and prefer just "The flesh pits of Callendria!"
Because, really, who DOESN'T enjoy those flesh pits. ;P
"A gamer should enjoy ____ time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
I know we're supposed to say his or her when gender is undetermined (although many works create their own internal egalitarianism, switching back and forth between the two, based on certain custom criteria), but why can't we just go back to accepting a singular usage for their and they? We were doing it over a century ago and it's still what sounds right to most people's ears.
It would make everything so much easier. Formal English writing is walking on eggshells without it.
Who's with me?!
::Charges off naked down the street ala Old School.::
I try to work around that, but if I find myself there, particularly while speaking, I don't shy away from the neutered male pronoun. Sometimes I throw in a 'she,' though, just for fun. The stick is way too far up my bu&&-I just can't abide plural pronouns with singular antecedents.
I use their when referring to an ambiguous gender, and so do my annoyingly large number of English major friends, so...yeah.
Cool, PC. Thanks. :)
There's always your friend and mine, the passive voice!
"Time in the flesh pits of Callendria should be enjoyed by gamers."
Not only does it resolve the issue of pronouns, it removes those pesky subjects as well. Plus, it sounds more authoritative than the active voice. And, best of all, EDITORS LOVE IT! Seriously, anyone who is even considering becoming published by Paizo should write entirely in the passive voice.
Momma gave you The Prince pop-up book as a tot, didn't she? ;) Death to freelance competitors!
"A gamer should enjoy eir time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
For me, the problem with a new word replacing a common usage word is that they retard the eye along its zippy course across the page. Some people write hir... there have been a couple attempts to create such a word, but they never resonate as fundamental language and announce themselves in a gimmicky manner. Not that there's anything wrong with announcing one's self in a gimmicky manner.
::Emerges from a cloud of purple smoke amidst lasers forming an astral wolf.::
Best practice: "Gamers should enjoy their time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
That said, I have no strong objection to the free use of "their" even when it doesn't technically agree with the subject. I remain dubious as to whether Rone's nudity is going to have an impact on the style guide, however.
My nudity did have an impact on one style guide. As it was being written, I mischievously batted the author about the face and neck just by imitating a Cessna. Worst style guide ever.
The Spivak pronouns seem like someone's typing with a cockney accent
“What are you playing?”
“’Allo!”“Hello to you too. Now what are you playing.”
“’Allo!”
“Yeah! Hi!”
“I’m playing ‘ALO! Don’t you ‘ear in English?”
And approved by the Oxford English Dictonary.Best practice: "Gamers should enjoy their time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
Excellent.
Personally, I think the "enjoyment" is understood in this case and prefer just "The flesh pits of Callendria!"
Because, really, who DOESN'T enjoy those flesh pits. ;P
That is what one calls perfect logic right there.
[
I try to work around that, but if I find myself there, particularly while speaking, I don't shy away from the neutered male pronoun. Sometimes I throw in a 'she,' though, just for fun. The stick is way too far up my bu&&-I just can't abide plural pronouns with singular antecedents.
But the plural pronoun used to work as the singular. You've been sold a bad onion, Jocund. Peel back the layers of rotting rigidity to savor your eye-watering freedom!
I'm always fond of the gender-neutral "it". That seems to upset a shocking number of gendered sentient beings, however.
I'm always fond of the gender-neutral "it". That seems to upset a shocking number of gendered sentient beings, however.
For me, gender sentience is one of life's great joys, but then I'm a simple simple man. <G> People don't like to hear their species being referred to as an it even when gender is undefined, but the same is not true for our observance of the animal world. If you say a cat ran in front of you, you might refer to it as an it, because it's hard to sex a cat at 30 mph.
I'm always fond of the gender-neutral "it". That seems to upset a shocking number of gendered sentient beings, however.
I like that idea, too. I have to read more about early modern English, but I know that in Shakespeare's day 'he' was used for inanimate objects. Even later, in Marvell, the sun is referred to as 'he,' and I don't think he was being suggesting anthropmorphism, referring to classical mythology, or engaging in non-standard usage.
...because it's hard to sex a cat at 30 mph.Boy, you're telling me.
At least we tried.
I've always enjoyed using the compound pronoun of She, He and It.
S/H/It
I'm always fond of the gender-neutral "it".
Hm. I always thought that was the correct manner to refer to an indeterminately gendered person. "A gamer should enjoy its time in the flesh pits of Callendria." just sounds good to me.
I've always enjoyed using the compound pronoun of She, He and It.
S/H/It
Sweet!
Best practice: "Gamers should enjoy their time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
That said, I have no strong objection to the free use of "their" even when it doesn't technically agree with the subject. I remain dubious as to whether Rone's nudity is going to have an impact on the style guide, however.
+1
Translate to Chinese, and you won't have this problem.
If I could translate into Chinese well I'd be prepared for the new economy.
Translate to German, and you'll have a different problem entirely.
Or Dutch, for that matter. (Are they sitting in, standing in, or lying in the flesh pits?)
In the flesh pits? Dude, they're blissfully writhing.
"A gamer should enjoy its time in the flesh pits of Callendria." just sounds good to me.
Then I'm going to keep saying it to you because I aims to please.
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In the flesh pits? Dude, they're blissfully writhing.Translate to German, and you'll have a different problem entirely.
Or Dutch, for that matter. (Are they sitting in, standing in, or lying in the flesh pits?)
The images I have of them are decidedly unsexy. I'm picturing a pit of necromantically animated flesh and odd body parts undulating grotesquely. I feel like that's not what it actually is.
Heh, that would be a nasty surprise for a group of PCs expecting a brothel! Or not, if they needed a skidge more XP to hit the next level...
"We came all the way for this?"
"Man that reeks."
"Took us ten months and we waded through rivers of gore just to get here."
"Your point?"
"Well there's got to be some way we can get in on this."
"That's a rotting mound of wriggling undead flesh, you imbecile."
"I'm just saying there's gotta be a way."
"Wouldn't you rather just avoid this altogether and go back home."
"With no story to tell?"
"There is a story... the story of me talking you out of a necrorgy. No one will believe it it's so fantastic."
"That's true."
"A gamer should enjoy ____ time in the flesh pits of Callendria."
Why not; "A gamer should enjoy time spent writhing in the flesh pits of Callendria."?
or
"A gamer should enjoy the spent feeling from hours of pleasure in the flesh pits of Callendria."
or
"Sex=good." ...if you're into the whole brevity thing.
meanwhile-
::Emerges from a cloud of purple smoke amidst lasers forming an astral wolf.::
AWESOME! \m/ @ \m/
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"We came all the way for this?"
"Man that reeks."
"Took us ten months and we waded through rivers of gore just to get here."
"Your point?"
"Well there's got to be some way we can get in on this."
"That's a rotting mound of wriggling undead flesh, you imbecile."
"I'm just saying there's gotta be a way."
"Wouldn't you rather just avoid this altogether and go back home."
"With no story to tell?"
"There is a story... the story of me talking you out of a necrorgy. No one will believe it it's so fantastic."
"That's true."
I was thinking more along the lines of...
"Dude, do you remember the time we got off in those flesh pits. Man, that was nasty."
"We agreed never to talk about it."
"Oh, I know, I know, but man - last night I was with this girl, right, and I was like, can you pretend you're a pit of undulating animated flesh, and she was all like, uh, the rate just doubled..."
"What happens in Cheliax stays in Cheliax."
"And I was like, no, it's totally cool. I told her, those pits, man, they blew my mind. Maybe I can just call you Fleshy..."
"I don't want to hear anymore."
"So she started making these noises like a mound of festering flesh, and I was like, no no, nastier...."
"This story needs to stop."
"Oh man. It was crazy."
May I suggest the Miltonic "thir."
EDIT: Before I get an English major lecture on Milton's use of "thir" and that it wasn't plural and that it's just an archaic spelling... stop. I know all that already.
You're sounding very thir-ty tonight, Charlie.
"Sex=good." ...if you're into the whole brevity thing.
The dude abides.
I was thinking more along the lines of...
"I can't compete with her, Torgar! I'm only one woman!"
"It wasn't really a her, baby. It was more like a vat of biopsies and amputations on its way to OCEA for medical waste disposal... only with the sexual enthusiasm of a Viagra flavored Kool Aid man."
"And you miss it don't you?"
I was thinking more along the lines of..."I can't compete with her, Torgar! I'm only one woman!"
"It wasn't really a her, baby. It was more like a vat of biopsies and amputations on its way to OCEA for medical waste disposal... only with the sexual enthusiasm of a Viagra flavored Kool Aid man."
"And you miss it don't you?"
When I close a thread... I really close a thread.
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When I close a thread... I really close a thread.I was thinking more along the lines of..."I can't compete with her, Torgar! I'm only one woman!"
"It wasn't really a her, baby. It was more like a vat of biopsies and amputations on its way to OCEA for medical waste disposal... only with the sexual enthusiasm of a Viagra flavored Kool Aid man."
"And you miss it don't you?"
Apparently you and I are the only ones creepy enough to be into writhing-pit-of-flesh sex jokes.
It's okay. They'll all get it someday.
*Ports a Chaos Beast into the thread while observing from a safe distance*
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I was thinking more along the lines of..."I can't compete with her, Torgar! I'm only one woman!"
"It wasn't really a her, baby. It was more like a vat of biopsies and amputations on its way to OCEA for medical waste disposal... only with the sexual enthusiasm of a Viagra flavored Kool Aid man."
"And you miss it don't you?"
This is pure win!
This is pure win!I was thinking more along the lines of..."I can't compete with her, Torgar! I'm only one woman!"
"It wasn't really a her, baby. It was more like a vat of biopsies and amputations on its way to OCEA for medical waste disposal... only with the sexual enthusiasm of a Viagra flavored Kool Aid man."
"And you miss it don't you?"
A man of rare taste and refinement!
A man of rare taste and refinement!
...I've been around for a long, long year...
ooh-ooh
Hes.
Hirs.Easy to mix the pronouns, too easy really.
And that's why the pronoun population is out of control.
A man of rare taste and refinement!...I've been around for a long, long year...
ooh-ooh
Hope you guess my name!
In the Star Trek New Frontiers novels they use the pronoun Hir when describing Hermats, a hermaphroditic race.
Hir is an actual device some people employ in their writing to solve the issue. Too affected for me. It makes the writer's new language agenda suddenly announce itself in a paragraph that attempts to convey an entirely different point. At that point, as a reader, I have two voices in my head saying two different things, and considering I already have sixteen voices in my head on a regular basis, eighteen is really pushing it.
, eighteen is really pushing it.
I know, right? Especially when about 4-5 of the really pushy ones invite over a bunch of their friends...voices you dont even know. Some of those only speak in a foreign language and they look at you...mocking you as you page through your Berlitz phrasebooks.
I know, right? Especially when about 4-5 of the really pushy ones invite over a bunch of their friends...voices you dont even know. Some of those only speak in a foreign language and they look at you...mocking you as you page through your Berlitz phrasebooks., eighteen is really pushing it.
Nothing like having to clean up the morning after a bunch of rude guests show up for an unexpected party inside your head. I just drink bleach to clean it all out. Puts me to sleep for days.
eighteen is really pushing it.** spoiler omitted **
[campaign ad]I'm Rone Barton, and I approve this spoiler.[/campaign ad]
eighteen is really pushing it.** spoiler omitted **
No I didn't.