Yeah, I think it's not a great barometer because of the obfuscation. I wonder how it would work in reverse, though there's probably no way to do that without bias because it's an old chestnut and everyone knows what the point is. (And now I'm picturing Archie Bunker trying to pick up that damn chair.)
The "son" thing is interesting- I never thought about that. My own gut reaction is that men may be more likely to use it in some situations- a guy who had two boys might say "my sons are at camp," while a woman would say "my kids"- but that a woman would use it here. If God forbid I stumbled across K or A in an accident, I'd say "this is my son" or "daughter," not "this is my child."
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-07-02 08:43 pm (UTC)The "son" thing is interesting- I never thought about that. My own gut reaction is that men may be more likely to use it in some situations- a guy who had two boys might say "my sons are at camp," while a woman would say "my kids"- but that a woman would use it here. If God forbid I stumbled across K or A in an accident, I'd say "this is my son" or "daughter," not "this is my child."