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I wonder what gentlebeing means and how it is used, compared to similar words such as "ladies and gentlemen".

I saw "Gentlebeings!" was used at the beginning of an email. Is it a formal or informal word, and does it have some sarcastic or humorous connotation?

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1 Answer

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It's not an accepted word (at least not yet), but an attempt (semi-humorous, at a guess), to find an appropriate salutation for a group of people, some of whom may object to "Ladies and Gentlemen". People have been attempting this for years, without noticeable success: "Gentlebeings", though harmless, has too much of a science-fiction flavour to catch on generally, I would say.

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Thanks! Why would some object to "Ladies and Gentlemen"? – Tim Sep 18 '11 at 21:29
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Some women object to being called "Ladies", perhaps because of the stereotype of "ladylike behaviour". Others object to unnecessary distinctions in language between men and women; for example it has become common to use "an actor" as a general term instead of calling about half of them "an actress". – Henry Sep 18 '11 at 23:23
Others object to the notion of a gender binary. – daxelrod Nov 6 '11 at 2:43

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