Better take it up with Cat Fight, I should say, although I imagine she would have been the first to object to the word if she saw it as in the least patronising to women.
[QUOTE=Liberal]
We stopped using that term after our first ovester.
[/QUOTE]
What’s an “ovester”?
(“Semester” is a word that comes from pretty much the same source as “trimester”: the “mester” there is actually cognate with “menses”, so it has no masculine connotation at all!)
[QUOTE=Gary T]
Its origins stem from when women in college were a rarity, so that aspect of it is out of date. However, it does not have any intrinsic derogatory meaning, any more than “woman” does because it originated from the notion of “wife to a man.”
[/QUOTE]
I’d consider that derogatory, as well, except that “man” originally meant “person” and “wifman” meant female person.
[QUOTE=Giles]
What’s an “ovester”?
[/QUOTE]
I took a class on Asian art herstory during my first ovester.
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]
I took a class on Asian art herstory during my first ovester.
[/QUOTE]
Of course, a lot of these feminist language reformers have not studied any Latin or Greek. If they had, then they would reform such genuinely sexist words as “hysteria”. (Do men suffer from testeria?)
[QUOTE=Giles]
What’s an “ovester”?
(“Semester” is a word that comes from pretty much the same source as “trimester”: the “mester” there is actually cognate with “menses”, so it has no masculine connotation at all!)
[/QUOTE]
Reference from Legally Blonde.
That usage always requires me to think about what the heck they’re saying.
To me it’s schools that are co-ed, not people. And nowadays single-gender institutions are so much rarer that I’d only use it to speak about things like “my school used to be girls-only but went coed when I was in 3rd grade;” I don’t expect a school to tout its “co-ed-ness.”
[QUOTE=Green Bean]
Perhaps…but that underscores why it’s patronizing. A male student in the 1950s walking across the Rutgers quad would be a “student.” A female doing the same would be called a “coed.” He’s a student. She’s a novelty.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly. I’m amazed that anyone would use the term these days, such as in the OP’s linked thread title. Considering more women than ment go to college these days, I would think we could put the term to rest. I do find it rather insulting.
Gender and race no longer exist. Any reference to these anachronistic constructs displeases the hivemind.
[QUOTE=Giles]
…(Do men suffer from testeria?)
[/QUOTE]
It seems to me that they do. 
[QUOTE=Giles]
Of course, a lot of these feminist language reformers have not studied any Latin or Greek. If they had, then they would reform such genuinely sexist words as “hysteria”. (Do men suffer from testeria?)
[/QUOTE]
This is more popularly known as “testosterone poisoning”.
And I’ve seen plenty of feminist critiques of “hysteria” and “hysterical”. Although I couldn’t testify to exactly where.
[QUOTE=Giles]
(Do men suffer from testeria?)
[/QUOTE]
Every day!!! Sometimes maybe even two or three times. Fortunately I’m ambidextrous.
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac]
“Coed” still has a valid use to mean “both men and women.” I can’t think of any other word that remotely fits – “bisexual,” maybe? For an example of the use I’m talking about, see here.
Of course, on edit, I notice the OP said “the noun ‘coed.’” I will slink away unnoticed.
[/QUOTE]
In Spanish they say “unisex” as an adjective.
[QUOTE=Lemur866]
This is more popularly known as “testosterone poisoning”.
And I’ve seen plenty of feminist critiques of “hysteria” and “hysterical”. Although I couldn’t testify to exactly where.
[/QUOTE]
Maybe from me? I get bristly about the term being used to describe women who are rightly indignant or angry.