That would certainly make "mansplaining" less objectionable, although there's a danger in assuming that somone offering advice is assuming people are stupid. Intelligence is not a binary quality - markbanang frequently has to explain basic practical engineering things to me because my brain simply doesn't seem to be wired that way. That doesn't make me stupid, or him patronising. And I have definitely seen people I regarded as merely trying to be helpful accused of "mansplaining".
I think the point about the sexist nature of the term remains valid whatever definition you choose. The activity you describe may be perpetrated mostly by men against women, but the term is still polarising, and likely to offend men who don't engage in such behaviours.
I take your point about these things being terms used by minorities, but I'm not sure the same isn't true of the word "chav", which arguably, at least in some people's minds, encompasses the majority of the population. I think my point is that just because a word is being used by a repressed minority, that doesn't automatically stop it being unhelpful. As a non-driving cyclist, I would never use the word "cager", for this reason.
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Date: 2012-05-17 05:23 am (UTC)I think the point about the sexist nature of the term remains valid whatever definition you choose. The activity you describe may be perpetrated mostly by men against women, but the term is still polarising, and likely to offend men who don't engage in such behaviours.
I take your point about these things being terms used by minorities, but I'm not sure the same isn't true of the word "chav", which arguably, at least in some people's minds, encompasses the majority of the population. I think my point is that just because a word is being used by a repressed minority, that doesn't automatically stop it being unhelpful. As a non-driving cyclist, I would never use the word "cager", for this reason.