| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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5. Gender: Sexist Language and Assumptions
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| § 28. pert / sassy / vivacious |
| There are certain words in English that we tend to think of as sex-specific, even though they are not defined that way in dictionaries. In a recent survey we polled the Usage Panel on a number of these words. Two-thirds of the panel feels that vivacious can only be used of a female subject, as in the example _____ can be so vivacious at times, while more than 70 percent of the panelists believe only men or boys can be debonair. Similarly, a majority of panelists feel that saucy, sassy, pert, and demure can apply only to women or girls. | 1 |
| Surprisingly, 43 percent of the Usage Panel believes that wanton can apply to either women or men, and 64 percent believe the same of prim. If you use the words urbane, suave, or lecherous, however, a majority of panel members believe you should refer to a man. | 2 |
| Other interesting controversies include the adjective suave and the noun fellow. Sixty percent of the panel thought these words should be limited to men, leaving 40 percent who would in theory at least allow a woman to be described as a suave fellow. | 3 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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