Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To agree with JK Rowling?

999 replies

StraightenUpAndFryRight · 20/12/2019 09:22

mobile.twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1207646162813100033

‘Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?
#IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill’

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 21/12/2019 20:36

Im tired Hmm

EvenSupposing · 21/12/2019 20:37

I thought we were now doing compound insults and was setting someone up for badger scrotum

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 20:37

Latin

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 20:37

Yeah, 15 rounds of "but words mean nothing and also this fish is a dolphin" will do that to you.

EvenSupposing · 21/12/2019 20:37

Todger

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 21/12/2019 20:38

People are going to have to stop using big words i have to google

IcedPurple · 21/12/2019 20:38

I'm guessing JAPAB will tell us the definition of"woman" is "anyone who identifies as one." But that's quite unhelpful. What exactly is it that these "women" are identifying as?

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 21/12/2019 20:39

Low hanging love sack

Though strictly speaking thats balls Grin

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 20:39

Huevos

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 20:40

On the subject of words changing and not changing, can we discuss the pluralisation of penis?

The plural of penis is not penii. I don't know where the idea that that is an authentic plural came from but it is wrong. Say "penises" like a normal person.

VMisaMarshmallow · 21/12/2019 20:40

I missed existential before word game. I read cock and my mind went to chop.

EvenSupposing · 21/12/2019 20:41

Tbf it hasn't been massively existential in its execution...

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 20:43

Penii always sounds to me like they're saying cocks are a species. It's a bit Blue Planet.

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 20:46

If I'm forced to endure Boris Johnson, self-acclaimed Latin Legend in his own lifetime, as my prime minister, he had better get rid of this "penii" thing. It would be a massive silver lining to the 12/12 disaster.

It's like saying the plural of sheep is sheeps!

LangCleg · 21/12/2019 20:47

I thought the plural of penis was cockwombles.

7Days · 21/12/2019 20:48

Being serious for a moment. And drilling down into what Japab is worryingly at.

It's not the Word, they want, is it? A certain subset of TRA's. What they want is the collection of identifiers levelled out so that the only ones that define the group are the ones they choose.
So 'flugerty' as a substitute for 'woman' wont work, it's not the word, it's the reality they are chasing.
Like a dog chasing a car. If they ever caught one how deeply disheartening to not be able to eat it like a rabbit.

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 20:50

I wish people on MN would stop saying that. I envisage a horrible pornographic version of the Wombling Free song, from Top of the Pops each time.

When you take into account that I MN while eating, you'll fully appreciate my mental anguish.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 20:58

In order to take over a thing you need to hollow it out first.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 20:59

I mean, isn't Boris arguably already cockwombling free? Probably not in Wimbledon but still.

JAPAB · 21/12/2019 21:06

You realize that this is not working on us, right? I mean, if you'd like to spend the remaining 4 pages proving the cliche about the pointlessness of repeating a behavior that you already know does not yield the desired results true then by all means, be my guest, but it's not going to make any difference.

People are misrepresenting trans people. Actually I do not expect anything to 'work' in the sense of causing people to realise that they are misrepresenting and straw manning trans people, and then stop doing it.

So...trans people are expecting us to believe that the earth is flat. That people can change physical aspects of themselves that are im,possible to change, and on it will go.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 21/12/2019 21:16

Women here understand exactly what you're asking of us. Our answer is "no".

StrawberryGoo · 21/12/2019 21:23

But JAPAB, while it is true that words have the meaning ascribed to them by humans, those words have commonly understood meanings. They do not exist in a vacuum for us to choose to ascribe whatever meaning we like to them as and when we want.

The meaning of woman has been adult human female for all of living memory. You are talking about changing the meaning to incorporate anyone who identifies as a woman.

JAPAB · 21/12/2019 21:42

But JAPAB, while it is true that words have the meaning ascribed to them by humans, those words have commonly understood meanings. They do not exist in a vacuum for us to choose to ascribe whatever meaning we like to them as and when we want.

What typically happens is that words have a traditional meaning, some people think those are restrictive in some way, and campaign to have them formally widened out or changed.

It happens when people object to,say, a definition of Scottish which requires the person to be born in Scotland. Or when people object to a definition of marriage which says that it is the union of one man and one woman.

You, I or the next person may disagree but that isn't the point here. It would be misrepresentitive and straw-manning to portray people as if they believe you can change your place of birth say, just because they think place of birth shouldn't be a barrier to you identifying as Scottish.

JanesKettle · 21/12/2019 21:46

But until I come home and find she has rearranged the Lego so it spells 'DIE GODLESS HEATHENS' I'm ok with that

Is it wrong of me to kind of want this crazy yet creative cleaner ? I mean, I would laugh if I came home to find that. It's funny. I'd want to see what she came up with the next week.

(I am a godless heathen. So are two of my kids. The other one got baptised before I grew a backbone and said no to MIL)

StrawberryGoo · 21/12/2019 21:50

JAPAB

There’s a disagreement as to what woman should mean but it’s important to remember who is relying on the current meaning of the word and who is trying to change it. It isn’t bigotry to say words mean what they currently mean.

The Scottish example is interesting because someone can identify as Scottish all they like, but they won’t get the citizenship and all the benefits of that based on how the identify - there are objective criteria.

Swipe left for the next trending thread