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I'm looking for a more politically correct substitute for the expression "poor man's", meaning an inferior improvised or makeshift substitute. Usage examples:
My hesitance is mainly because it is not as gender neutral as perhaps it once was. The closest I can think of is "pauper's", but I don't know many examples of usage.
Gender neutrality is fine, I even like it. But sometimes it is carried so far, it's burdensome.
I am a member of mankind. That doesn't bother me on a gender level. It is no more charged for me than humankind. I may well not represent the majority here.
If you're going to talk about a poor man's oyster, I'd much rather you kept the word man in there.
If you use the pauper's (x), I'm certain it will be understood, even though it's not used right now.
But "Poor man's" is fine with me.
If Seth MacFarlane is the poor man's version of any celebrity... -Jezebel
Sorbet is the poor man's ice cream. -Jezebel
Lady Gaga is the poor man's Madonna. -Jezebel
(What does any of that even mean?) I'm not a reader (nor a fan) of Jezebel. But if a self-proclaimed feminist publication uses it so often, you should not fear to use it for gender reasons. Just please write better than Jezebel.
Both "bargain-basement NOUN" and "cut-rate NOUN" express the essential idea of a lower-quality substitute or stand-in, as does "ersatz NOUN." Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) defines ersatz as follows:
ersatz adj (1875) : being a usu. artificial and inferior substitute or imitation [examples omitted]
None of these options works as a straight swap for "the poor man's NOUN," however. You would have to reframe the guncotton example (for instance) to say something like this:
"Functionally, guncotton amounts to bargain-basement TNT."
or
"Guncotton works like cut-rate TNT."
or
"Guncotton is essentially ersatz TNT."
I share anongoodnurse's view that "poor man's" is unlikely to be deemed politically or sociologically insulting in most settings, but offense is in the brain of the taker whether the giver intends it so or not. Fortunately, if you want to avoid the expression "poor man's NOUN"—for whatever reason—you'll find that many alternative wordings are readily available.
"Budget" as in "Mussels are a budget version of oysters - most of the taste for a fraction of the cost."
"Sensible" would be an alternative with a slight positive connotation. "This mini-MPV is a sensible replacement to a lumbering station-wagon - you save money without compromising capacity or practicality."
For what you are trying to say, you could (I do) use the phrase "quick & dirty" to mean pretty much the same thing as "poor-man's". I realize it doesn't carry the connotation of being inexpensive, but "poor-man's" doesn't necessarily either. Many times it means just that it is the option which is more readily available to the common person, whether that is because of how expensive it is, or other things like its rarity. While not a perfect substitution, it is gender neutral and would fit for the examples you give, IMHO. Hope this helps.
"Pound Shop" is one possible substitute phrase I heard lately. In a televised incident Russel Brand, talking of UKIP leader Nigel Farage, opined
Pound shops in the UK are budget stores selling most (or all) items for £1
Pauper is an antiquated word that will seem awkward or pretentious in use, if understood at all.
El cheapo, China store, redneck, ghetto can be seen as racist, but are often used.
Generic, Lite, no-name, off-brand, knock-off, dollar store, back alley (can indicate illegality), wannabe (or copy-cat but less so).
The idea that “poor man’s X” is not gender neutral is hilarious though.
What's wrong with makeshift ? (which you mention in the question itself) I was doing something else and ran across the word and suddenly remembered this question. It might lack the connotation of cheapness but maybe it is useful.
To whatever extent that “a poor man’s (+ NOUN)” might have negative gender and/or economic-class implications to some listeners,
a cheapskate’s (+ NOUN)
would be a gender and economic-class-neutral alternative.
Although cheapskates choose to be cheap, they can live and spend like paupers as mentioned in the example given in the above link.
Here's a curious use, with possible negative economic-class implications, of "poor man's" to describe "the ultimate cheapskate."
"Hack" is an informal/slang term that means "cheap/quick-and-dirty workaround", and is politically neutral.
Example: "I didn't have a hammer and nails, so I used duct tape as a hack."
