LogFAQs > #975853162

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I honestly don't think it should be. Because it's generally how it works. It's more confusing to bring up other caveats. It's like bringing up gas bikes when people say something akin to "biking is a healthy habit that's good for the environment."

Sariana21 posted...

Essentially this. Male and female are adjectives and man and woman are nouns. They do sometimes get used in other contexts, but in everyday speech these are the conventions. So when someone uses female as a noun, it is kind of taking away that persons identity as a being and making that person a description.

I actually get annoyed at the opposite usage as well, such as woman scientist, because woman is not generally supposed to modify another noun. Its not offensive, exactly, but I do wonder at the speakers (or writers) intent.

Male and female are nouns as well. It's both. That's why I said this isn't a good way to go about looking at things.

That is annoying, but some of that is probably birthed from people being afraid to use "female." Which is some of the reason I don't think it should be considered offensive in the least. I think it's a context thing that matters. Example "the male cooked a family dish." "the female mowed the lawn." It sounds very strange-- almost alien when you say it that way.