DIY laminate flooring - floorboard stuck!

greensalad

Could easily just say "they". 

GDB2222

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

Eldi_Dos

GDB2222 said:

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

A bit of ambiguity is good in the language, lots of the best songs have some so we can all put our take on it.
In the case of that piece of laminate "Something inside so strong" might be apt.

greensalad

GDB2222 said:

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

Getting a bit off topic, but "they" is very commonly used to refer to just one person when the person is unknown. It's not a "new" usage.

If you found someone's coat and bag on the train, would you try to return it to them? Would you do your best to make sure they were reunited with it by dropping it for them at the Lost Property office?

Or would you take his/hers bag and coat and give it to the guard so that he/she could locate it later? 

One of those paragraphs works much better than the other.

Bendy_House

greensalad said:

GDB2222 said:

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

Getting a bit off topic, but "they" is very commonly used to refer to just one person when the person is unknown. It's not a "new" usage.

If you found someone's coat and bag on the train, would you try to return it to them? Would you do your best to make sure they were reunited with it by dropping it for them at the Lost Property office?

Or would you take his/hers bag and coat and give it to the guard so that he/she could locate it later? 

One of those paragraphs works much better than the other.

But your examples do not contain the pronoun 'they' :-)

GaleSF63

greensalad said:

GDB2222 said:

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

Getting a bit off topic, but "they" is very commonly used to refer to just one person when the person is unknown. It's not a "new" usage.

And when the person is known as well. Very common and has been for many years.

GDB2222

greensalad said:

GDB2222 said:

greensalad said:

Could easily just say "they". 

I do understand that the usage has changed over the years, but  they is still usually used to refer to two or more people. Ideally, we need a new word that's not ambiguous. 

Getting a bit off topic, but "they" is very commonly used to refer to just one person when the person is unknown. It's not a "new" usage.

If you found someone's coat and bag on the train, would you try to return it to them? Would you do your best to make sure they were reunited with it by dropping it for them at the Lost Property office?

Or would you take his/hers bag and coat and give it to the guard so that he/she could locate it later? 

One of those paragraphs works much better than the other.

I agree it's off topic, but your laminate flooring problem has been solved, so there's nobody losing out.

The use of 'they' to refer to a known person is pretty recent usage. It's certainly occurred during the second half of my lifetime (I'm nearly 70, hence a bit set in my ways). It's a different usage where it refers to someone who is unknown. 

There's nothing wrong with he/she, except it's a bit cumbersome. I'd be happy with a new word, "ze" perhaps. The word "Ms" caught on very quickly, so why not 'ze'? Or, maybe dinosaurs like me will die out, and the world will be left to the they generation? 

Ben1989

Multi-tool.

Done.