What does "I swan" mean?

[mangeorge]

@Yllaria

A tip of the hat to Mr. Tobin, who taught high school English in 1973. He called to the departing class, one day, saying, “Somebody left his purse at his desk.” Just as an illustration of the drawbacks of the default pseudogeneric pronoun.

Exactly.

[Siam_Sam]

@Yllaria

A tip of the hat to Mr. Tobin, who taught high school English in 1973. He called to the departing class, one day, saying, “Somebody left his purse at his desk.” Just as an illustration of the drawbacks of the default pseudogeneric pronoun.

But that’s a false example. The very fact that it was a “purse” indicates, especially in 1973, that the owner was a female and so “her” and “his” should have been used.

[moriah]

@Siam_Sam

But that’s a false example. The very fact that it was a “purse” indicates, especially in 1973, that the owner was a female and so “her” and “his” should have been used.

In which year did the use of ‘purse’ no longer indicate the unknown person was definitely indicative of a female.

[Siam_Sam]

@moriah

In which year did the use of ‘purse’ no longer indicate the unknown person was definitely indicative of a female.

I remember 1973 very well, and guys did not carry “purses.” I knew someone who carried something similar just a few years ago that he called a “man sack” – which even he could not stop giggling about whenever he mentioned it – but he would not have been carrying even that in 1973. I contend that the only conclusion to a left-behind “purse” in 1973 was that the owner was female.

[Siam_Sam]

@Siam_Sam

But that’s a false example. The very fact that it was a “purse” indicates, especially in 1973, that the owner was a female and so “her” and “his” should have been used.

Oops! Strike "and ‘his’ " please. :o

[LouisB]

@CalMeacham

I saw this in a 1950s Walt Disney comic. Grandma Duck was using it, and it seemed like a euphemism for “I Swear”. Given that it was Grandma Duck, I think that indicates that it’s a “country” euphemism that sounds like the word it’s replacing , like the similarly euphemistic “Fudge!”. I’ve never heard anypone actually use it, though.
Who says comics ain’t educational?

I just now said out loud the word fudge. In fact, I said it twice.

This is the third zombie thread I’ve opened in the last fifteen minutes. To make it worse, I replied to this one.

[Yllaria]

@Siam_Sam

I remember 1973 very well, and guys did not carry “purses.” I knew someone who carried something similar just a few years ago that he called a “man sack” – which even he could not stop giggling about whenever he mentioned it – but he would not have been carrying even that in 1973. I contend that the only conclusion to a left-behind “purse” in 1973 was that the owner was female.

This is all completely true and was the reason that the class laughed.