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Pedants' corner

Boy-y

5 replies

HopeSpringsInfernal · 04/05/2024 01:23

I was listening to Woman's Hour yesterday & I heard two people use the word 'boy-y (as opposed to 'girly') to describe the behaviour of male children.

Surely the adjective should have been boyish. Or is boy-y an actual word? It just sounded so clumsy and wrong.

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NotTooOldPaul · 04/05/2024 11:49

I would use boyish.
I am not sure that any behaviour should be classified as boyish or girlish

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HopeSpringsInfernal · 04/05/2024 14:24

NotTooOldPaul · 04/05/2024 11:49

I would use boyish.
I am not sure that any behaviour should be classified as boyish or girlish

Thank you - it sounded so mangled.

.I completely agree with you about categorising activities/behaviours as either boyish or girlish,by the way

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whoneedssixteen · 04/05/2024 14:39

I heard that too. But the speaker knew it wasn't a word - and he said something like - "I'm going to claim it" - or something. It's just the sort of mistake that we all make sometimes when getting in a bit of a knot speaking to an audience unscripted.

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HopeSpringsInfernal · 04/05/2024 15:01

whoneedssixteen · 04/05/2024 14:39

I heard that too. But the speaker knew it wasn't a word - and he said something like - "I'm going to claim it" - or something. It's just the sort of mistake that we all make sometimes when getting in a bit of a knot speaking to an audience unscripted.

Ah, I missed the bit where the speaker said he'd claim it. Maybe he was going along with a word the othe speaker had already used, to keep her at her ease

I can't help hoping it doesn't catch on though

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whoneedssixteen · 04/05/2024 16:26

Agree - it's horrible. I can't remember exactly what he said but something like that. I was thinking though that boy-ish isn't right. He wasn't saying "like a boy" , (as in a boyish grin, boyish haircut, Trevor still retained his boyish charm), he seemed to be saying, (if I remember), that some behaviours were more common in boys, more typical of boys - boy-y behaviour. I was driving though and may have misunderstood. It was an interesting couple of programmes though, (I have both boy and girl)

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