UN Agency Staff Told “Don’t Say Englishman” in Language Crackdown

Even “man’s best friend” has been blacklisted – with “a faithful dog” to be used instead. And “birth attendant” is suggested as an alternative to “midwife”.

The move comes after the British Red Cross was accused of having been “hijacked by political extremists” after clamping down on phrases such as “ladies and gentlemen” and “maiden name”. According to the ‘Guidelines on inclusive language’ published by the UN agency – known as WIPO – using “masculine-specific” terms risks giving the impression that “women are not represented in certain groups or do not possess certain skills”.

Among the terms staff should not use are Englishman – with “English person” or “English national” given as alternatives.  “Man in the street” should be replaced by “ordinary citizen” or “typical person”, while the word “sportsmanlike” is to be avoided in favour of “fair” or “sporting”…