Cyanide & Happiness

It was a weird bit of pettifogging.

Sadly, they were just repeating the same old points. Weirdly, their justification for why it was fine to use dude in that context would make Sir a gender neutral term.

Like the other comment you replied to says: people will say the silliest things instead of introspect. It's all post hoc- "I do this thing, what do I need to say I believe to make that ok."

So i had fun repeating their ideas back at them, which is what I said I do in my original comment. Then people got upset at hearing their own ideas, like I said they do in my original comment.

Wait you believe dude is gender neutral? Your mum/wife/girlfriend/sister you think they're all dudes? Weird. Wait you believe he/him is gender neutral because it's used in that context? Weird. Wait, you believe Sir is gender neutral because it's used in a specific case gender neutrally? Weird...

For example here's a comment I received:

I don't think I've ever heard "language changes over time and that's sexist and toxic" from anyone other than Latin teachers with no students

Like their isn't a point here. They just do this thing, so need to believe that language isn't criticised in this way by anyone other than Latin teachers with no students. Despite a link to that thing happening in the very thread they're replying to: the project to replace he/him I linked to. It's just silliness so they don't have to introspect. Funny though.

A small excerpt, just one example mind, there's other's if you care to look:

Today, we live in a very different world. In the intervening decades, society, and its language, has become more inclusive. The tone of TV comedies has changed, the percentage of women inventors worldwide (though still small) has more than doubled, the need for gender neutral, non-sexist language has been recognised. The time had come for our trusty MoPP, the essential ‘go to’ for every patent examiner, to change.

They're all Latin teachers with no students, or of similar ilk to Latin teachers with no students? All of them? Every industry that changed their manuals from he/him to they/them? You really believe that? Weird.

That's what you took from that? I provided a big list for various contexts and that's what you focus on? Anyway:

"A dude cut in front of me in line" did you happen to note what you pictured when you thought of a dude cutting in front of you? Assuming you don't have aphantasia.

"A person cut in front of me in line" both acceptable sentences in English.

A dude called me, a person called me. I met a dude the other day, I met a person the other day. I'd rather be in the forest with a bear than a person, I'd rather be in the forest with a bear than a dude.

Let's do plurals: 3 people walked into a bar, 3 dudes walked into a bar (they said 'ouch').

If you think "person" is weird ommit it. It's a distinction without difference as it's lack doesn't change my point in any way, shape, or form. This is what's called pettifogging, when even if you're right it doesn't change a thing.