Are You a Lady? ?

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I don’t mind the use of lady or ladies and I don’t see how it’s patronising.
Using women when referring to public toilets or other areas I won’t mention, is fraught with confusion among males who aren’t sure what they are, but don’t want to use the men’s toilets.

Are we not allowed to mention mass murderers?
I’m very about the deleted posts.
Can whoever reported them explain why they did so please?

You and me both Fanny. We’ve had entire threads about people who committed the acts I mentioned.

Whatever is going on?

I c a n ‘ t b e l I e v e I t GSM to quote a well worn phrase.

Yes, Shep, quite recently there was a thread about Peter Sutcliffe

These are the posts referring to Myra Hindley et al.?
Appalling use of the reporting mechanism on this site and the incomprehensible deletion of references to a post.

I was holding out a misguided hope that this thread was, for a change, proceeding as one which was pleasant, interesting and definitely worthy of intelligent debate.

I feel strongly that HQ should be explaining in greater detail their views on this specific case.

CaravanSerai

What happened to gentlewoman - the literal gender opposite of gentleman?

Interesting.
I have a feeling that ‘gentlewoman’ was in reference to a particular type of woman; but I can’t think any further than that. An older woman perhaps? A spinster?

Thanks ixion. I quite agree

I have reported my post to HQ, asking why an opportunity for an interesting and informed discussion has been taken away.

I think I saw one of the now deleted posts. Popped to the shops and now it's gone. It was entirely relevant to the discussion and I am puzzled at the deletions. Surely, it goes to the heart of why the term gentleman is misused is all kinds of contexts. My point about the word gentlewoman having fallen out of common use relates to this. Why do we still use the term gentle for a man and not for a woman? Why do we use it in contexts when there is nothing gentle about the behaviour of the men in question e.g. the privileged set who see hunting and shooting as sport? Nothing gentle about killing. What about dinner-jacketed Bullingdon types at all-male functions? Nothing gentle about their raucous behaviour. And yet they would be called gentlemen by rank.

Any other contributors to this part of the discussion with views on this?

I’ve noticed (on the rubbishy reality police shows) that the police often call suspected (and otherwise) criminals gentleman.

Is the word used in court etc?

I did see the deleted posts, but don’t understand why they were deleted.

Yes ixion. I really don’t understand why the posts were deleted.

I’ve just read “Talk Guidelines” and can’t understand it either GSM.
Are we moderated more severely than Mumsnet?

Search me. As I said before, we have had threads about named persons convicted of homicide.

Why? Just 'why'?

Please will objectors state their reasoning for reporting.
Unless the Mods themselves were engrossed in the gladiatorial nature of the debate... ?

Blimey, how/why were those posts deleted?

GN ain’t what it used to be

Can anyone explain what was deleted (in suitably vague terms to comply with the suitably vague 'rules'), please?

(If not, feel free to use the PM function )

TIA.

During the discussion about the use of ‘lady’ and ‘gentleman’ one poster said they always used those terms. I asked if they would also refer to certain named people (the names being well known to us all), convicted of homicide, the victims being children, in those terms. That’s all. A not in reasonable question I thought, believing that might well be an exception to their normal practice.

*Unreasonable.

Thank you.

No, not an unreasonable question, although I see 'lady' and 'gentleman' as being more about status and manners than good or evil. You could push someone off a cliff wearing white gloves or shoot them with your monogrammed pistol, engraved with the family coat of arms .

Wow ! I never thought at the beginning of this, what I call a lighthearted thread, that I would see deleted posts ! I saw the posts in question and I'm at a loss as to why - or am I missing something ?

I can see your point Doodledog but like me you probably wouldn’t refer to someone who had killed children as a lady or gentleman whatever their social status. I trust this post won’t be deleted!