Date: Wed, 10 Aug 1994 16:13:27 -0500

From: mftcf[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UXA.ECN.BGU.EDU

Subject: Re: you





2) My mother-in-law (r-less Middle Georgia resident all of her life)

systematically refers to my cats (which/whom she may still regard as

kittens despite their middle age) with the wrong natural gender (but never

her own cats--which/whom she does not regard as kittens--well, one is well

over 20 pounds). I'm starting to use this crazy pronoun system myself, and

I'm wondering if this trans-sexual usage is idiosyncratic (like my own

constant confusion of right and left) or if it is just a part of Southern

American that I need to know more about. My r-full wife does not confuse

the genders of pets (or babies); she also consciously avoids sounding "old

fashioned Southern."





Wayne Glowka



My late mother in law lived herlife in jacksonville, fla. She was an

r-less speaker, and the male cat we sent her (and which she finally sent

back) was always "the kitten" (even at 20 + lbs) and "she."



Tim Frazer