Gender terms we sometimes use without thinking

• • Using terms like ‘girl’ or ‘boy’, ‘laddy’, ‘missy’ to refer to an adult woman or man. These are undermining of personal dignity.

  • Using diminutive terms such as ‘just’ or ‘only’; e.g. “he’s just a stay-at-home father” or “she’s only a primary school teacher”.

  • People being described almost exclusively in terms of their physical appearance. “She was a real beauty”; “he was a proper big lad”. These are fine, if they’re relevant, but we still want to know: what did she do, what was his opinion etc?

  • Using terms like ‘mankind’, ‘no-man’s land’, ‘man cannot live on bread alone’, ‘the girl on reception’. You might have to pre-think what other phrases to use instead.