Me too.
My friend says, I asked my doctor what to do about my hurt knee. I’d answer, What did they say? without a second thought.
People who think he is non-gendered have to explain to me why they don’t use he for nurses and kindergarten teachers of unknown gender.
They doesn’t seem natural to me yet in those circumstances, but I am working on it. It is easier for me when talking than when writing.
It has been a very long time since I was willing to use he as a non-gendered pronoun when writing. I can’t remember when that didn’t sound awkward to me. And they is better than he/she or s/he or some combo. Since I hang out with lots of smarty pants literary folks, I do sometimes worry they think I don’t know the difference between singular and plural. That’s my problem.
Moreover, I was the one who–with humorous intent–first used the term. And I always fly steerage these days. 
When thinking about the gender neutral pronoun question, I’m reminded of Ms. Yes, there was some resistance at first, but overall Ms was widely adopted quite quickly. I think the reason was that Ms fulfilled a real need: people frequently encountered situations where they were unaware of a woman’s marital status and needed a way to address her.
I’m not convinced that the need for a gender neutral pronoun is quite as urgent. But I do think that “they” is going to will going away.
Sigh. I’m too old to learn a whole new set of grammar rules that don’t come naturally to me.
I guess I’m going to end up microaggressing a lot of people. 
Learning new grammar rules seems easy compared to having to learn how to use new and improved cell phones and computers and GPSs and other devices several times a year. I am okay with grammar changing. That is inevitable. I am not okay with all this technology that won’t take a rest for a few months while I try and catch up.
Folks I know are getting those apple watches. I am still getting used to having a battery watch instead of windup.
If someone gives me one, I hope I can make it out of the room before I cry.
I meant win, not will. Sorry.
Alright, just to verify the first class people having no dress code—before I got off my flight, I stood there and watched all the first class passengers walk by. Twenty people total, and only three were NOT wearing jeans. Me, a guy in a t shirt and khakis, and another guy with some camo pants on. I mentioned it to the flight attendant and she laughed, and said, “People wear jeans in first class all the time!” I suspect that when you walk by and see everyone in suits, they are on their way to a quick business meeting, and don’t want to stop somewhere and change. Or perhaps they hate checking their bags, so they’d rather carry on a suitcase and briefcase, and avoid the garment bag.
Not that anyone cares, but I did the legwork, so I have to share!
Completely speculating here, but it may also be a function of where you live. In Alaska, people wear jeans and sweatshirts to business meetings, so the idea of dressing up for first class (or because you might be upgraded—lots and lots of frequent flyer status up here) seems a bit off, to say the least. In DC, maybe not so much.
No one dresses up specifically just to fly in first class. Just … no. IF people who are flying are dressed in traditional business fare, it’s because their business needs call for them to get off the plane and go to their meetings, and they’re doing so regardless of what class they are sitting in. I don’t care where in the country you are; like busdriver, I’m on enough flights to feel I know what I’m talking about.
Steerage seems like the correct word to me. Although it feels more like sardine-age. (Where’s Gary Larson when you need him???)
That one is easy. The correct word is “Yo!”
And that is SO wrong! It’s “youse guys.”
And in Pittsburgh, of course, it is “yinz.” Pittsburghers sometimes affectionately refer to themselves as “yinzers” - totally gender neutral.
If you see passengers dressed up in first class these days, there’s a good chance its an airline employee or an employee’s family member flying non-revenue on a free or discounted pass, but even those mandated dress codes have become more lax in recent years.
Doschicos - I know people who routinely travel non-rev using the buddy passes, and they dress as casually as everyone else.
Ms. was a godsend. I used to write press releases, and we would have to call every female person mentioned in a release to verify marital status so we could use the correct term. Ms. saved a huge amount of time.
Re PG #396, actually, I have to say that given the conditions in “coach” on airlines, “steerage” might be a better label for it.
Re microaggressions (just to fit with the thread topic), QMP did quite well in state math contests in school. On the web site of one that listed the top scorers, “zair” name was posted with an error in the spelling of our last name, which made it look Asian. (It was QMP–one could tell by the first names and a comparison of the posted and actual scores.) This made me sort of uncomfortable, though I don’t think QMP minded.
Oh, and credit to Consolation for the term “steerage.”
I can’t eat a couple of kinds of seafood, but I don’t think I have ever been asked or given the menu ahead of time. At times, the main dish is something I can’t eat but there is always enough appies/salads/sides that I don’t go hungry and then I can have dessert!
I know which friends are vegetarians and will sometimes ask if I don’t know if there are some major issues, but I would think someone who is highly allergic or has strict dietary requirements would take it upon themselves to let the host know. I find the vegetarians I know can usually find something to eat (we will always include meat-free versions when we know someone is vegetarian).
I’m allergic to shellfish, but I really wouldn’t bother to inform anyone about it (unless they asked me specifically if I had a food allergy). If I really couldn’t eat something, it’s hardly as though I would starve if I missed part of a meal or could only pick at vegetables, side dishes and salad. My daughter has celiac / eats gluten-free, and she will (nicely) inform people as it’s a lot harder to work around that as it is my shellfish allergy.
My friends and I hold a lot of potluck nights. It’s becoming impossible to think of something to bring. Red meat is out for some, pork is out, and one woman refuses to eat chicken or turkey because she loves birds. So far no one objects to fish. Pasta is out for some (gluten). So we end up with a lot of salads and desserts.
What’s wrong with salads and desserts?