waltt@tekecs.UUCP (Walt Tucker) (08/26/83)
Notice that I am talking about dialects, and not the institution of proper titles (although certain titles for jobs that originated here, such as "cowboy" certainly had their roots in a male dominated profession; also note that "cowgirl" has been perfectly acceptable for years, too). To put it another way, the way people reference others in their natural speech patterns in one part of the U.S. as opposed to another. clear as glass, Walt
stanwyck@ihuxr.UUCP (08/29/83)
However, a cowgirl (as used where I grew up in Cal and Ore) is NOT! a female cowboy. A cowgirl is a girl who dresses up in a fancy denim skirt, dances the two-step, bows low to her man, and is a nice decoration at rodeos. A cowboy is a rodeo participant, a beer drinker, a master horse handler, and all around macho man. So to use cowgirl/cowboy as an example of designations of equals bu sex is not to my understanding. I think "ranch-hands" is the word you were looking for. don stanwyck : ..!ihnp4!ihuxr!stanwyck : 312-979-6667 : btl @ il