The term 'old biddies'? Is it really that offensive?

Thanks Pogs, kind words. No of course it wouldn't make us think twice about continuing with the lunches. You see we bought the old Vicarage here in the village, as the local Church is in desperate need of money. It had been the Vicarage since 1587 - so not surprising the locals were upset about losing this house. It has a second kitchen and a huge room at the back, with disabled access and disabled toilets- and Church volunteers had been organising monthly lunches for the 'elderly folk' for a very long time and didn't know where on earth they could continue. So we said, let's do it and keep it going - and it is just wonderful. My parents used to come before their demise.

The room is also used by the Parish for meeting, and the vicar for children activities, arts and crafts, etc. And we rent it for family gatherings, wakes, parties, etc, to cover the cost of heating, maintenance, etc. Wonderful.

Granjura

In my opinion if you and obviously other kind people are giving up time to do such a good thing, then anyone who even thought to chastise you over such a pathetic thing deserves to be ignored.

Good grief, what do such people who find that terminology offensive do if and when they are truly upset over a big issue??

I do hope it hasn't made you think twice about doing the 'lunches', I am sure all your 'Old Biddies' know you well enough to know you would never doing anything to cause offensive.

Just look at some of the things even friends on G.N. call each other, it's called humour.

What is the male equivalent of an old biddy? I have never heard it used for men. (except possibly above) That is always my starting point when thinking about whether language is sexist.
Have you noticed that men are NEVER described as "bubbly". I noticed this when a youngish female comedian was being introduced last night on Have I Got News for You.
And of course she had to work hard to hold her own and get air time with Hislop interrupting her on one side and the chairman doing the same on the other.
Janet SP on the other team adopted dirty tactics by telling a story about a macho man that only had a "button mushroom" in his pants. Which shut the men up a bit.

Greatnan the machines for the ski pistes are called Ratrak - our snowblower looks like an oversize lawnmower, and has rotary cutters and a chimney you can direct in any direction to blow the snow - it bites into the walls of snow and ejects said snow a few metres away. Brilliant.

I'll tell him he is a good egg, you are right there.

Lets be honest, we are old biddies. I frequently refer to myself as an old fa*t or an old fogie. I think some people take themselves too seriously and I am fully aware that in other peoples eyes that is what I am (I'm only 63). Just think back to when you were at school and how old you thought the teachers were. I really couldn't care less. I think some people are just too precious. As long as it is not said in malice IMHO.

Ooh, I do like Nanny Noo! I'm Nanny Og (as in Terry Pratchet). I really don't take offence at anything I'm called - as long as it's said with affection. I'm proud to be a wrinkly and old biddy has a very comfortable sound. What I'm not keen on is Senior Citizen. It's so cold and impersonal.

Granjura, I thought snow blowing machines were the ones they use on the pistes to make a good surface? Are you planning to ski down the hill behind the house?
Did you have your flu jab? Tell you OH he is my favourite man outside my family!
My great grand-daughter, who is just four, calls me Nanny Noo. I sent her an ecard and jacqui lawson cards sent me a confirmation addressed to 'Dear Nanny Noo'.

Some of my erstwhile day-release students referred to their mothers as their 'old dears'. These mums were probably no more than mid thirties. What they called their grandmothers I never discovered.

Not nearly as bad as calling them "vieilles filles"!

Thank goodness for the snowblowing machine- I thought it was a bit of a waste, but without it we would be doomed

Great nan- I've got a terrible cough - so the other (much older) biddy cleared the whole drive, including your reserved spot.

FlicketyB, good job I am an intelligent, human and undiscriminated against old biddy, or I'd be so scared. And I just love being 'Granny' to my grand-children, a young, active, fun-loving one, but a Granny all the same. I find it so sad when grand-children are told to to call their grand-parents Granny and Granpa, or else.

I will not take offence if someone calls me a gran or a granny or an old biddy. I AM the first two and I may, one day, be the third. Who cares? Not me.

The terms are only offensive if they are used offensively. Offence is more often taken than given, I think.

Said with fervour flicketyb but do you not think there is a case for reclaiming grandmother and its abbreviations as a positive word?

I'm with you Flickety

Though I'm sure granjura didn't mean it in a derogatory way.

Grans, grannies, old biddies, wrinklies old dears are all pejorative phrases used to patronise and dismiss older women as sub-human. without intelligence and discrimination. The first person to use any of those phrases in my presence will be taken off at the knees.

Don't worry - just get on with clearing your driveway for this old biddy's car!

Now there's a point. Can an elderly man be an 'old biddy'?

Ana, the elderly people who come for lunch are mostly in the 80/90 bracket. My dad used to be the oldest, at 96. Now the oldest is 'only' 94

jeni! I'd rather be an old besom than an old biddy, myself!

It might be more respectful, but I don't like 'senior citizens'. We don't refer to the younger generation as 'junior citizens'. I agree that 'old biddies' is OK when used by your children in a joking manner, and also that it does seem to be reserved for the very elderly, especially when they're in organised groups!

I typed BESOMS

Better than old bosoms!

The only people allowed to refer to me in such terms are the two to whom I gave birth and it's always in a bantering, tongue-in-cheek manner. It would be more respectful to use 'senior citizens'.

not keen personally, although I have been guilty myself on occasion when referring to the ladies in mum's care home.

I always think of it in reference to infirm over 80 yr olds. Rather than us lively lot.