On the Ted radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
This is fresh air.
I am Terry Gross.
Women drivers that was my fathers complaint.
If a woman drove too slowly or didnt signal before turning.
Plenty of men on the road aggravated my father, too, speeding, jumping stop signs, recklessly passing him.
But they were just drivers.
They werent men drivers.
My father was nothing unusual.
Lots of men of that generation had the same condescending attitude toward women drivers.
My guest, journalist Nancy Nichols, has written a new book about how cars became our most gendered technology.
Women werent considered to drive.
Beautiful women were used to market cars and magazines and tv ads.
Special clothes were designed for women.
When they did drive, cars became bedrooms for teens and adults who wanted to get away from home to have sex.
Cars have mostly been designed for male bodies in ways that put women drivers at risk.