[racket] sad user face?

Neil and all, hello.

On 2012 Feb 21, at 21:59, Neil Van Dyke wrote:

> Neil Van Dyke wrote at Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:40:56 -0500 (EST):

>> Even Brown U. and the few Seven Sisters that I checked seem to use
>> "freshmen" in current official communications.  (Not a lot of
>> "freshwomyn" in Google.)  I'm guessing that at least some of these
>> schools are sensitive to current thinking on feminism.  Perhaps they're
>> a bit ahead of the curve?
>> 
>> For more PC yet recognizable in the US, you could say "first-year" or
>> the catchy, one-syllable "frosh".
>> 
>> Around the world, I'm guessing that "first-year" is the most recognizable.

Speaking On Behalf Of UK english, I think keeping it as 'freshman' would be better.  'Freshman' isn't a term that's used here, but it's perfectly intelligible via US films, and it fits more naturally into a clearly US-based story. (Clearly US-based?  Yes: he's wearing shorts).

Also, here, 'first-year' means just someone who's in their first year of study, and has little of the identity and baggage that 'freshman' clearly has (I'm afraid my first association with 'freshman' is Animal House, but there you go).

I don't think 'frosh' travels: it would probably be intelligible to most of the audience, but only at second thought.

> I should not made the "shoes" joke, which I could have anticipated might have offended someone here needlessly.

I am personally offended by those shoes.  My dear, I am positively outraged!

All the best,

Norman


-- 
Norman Gray  :  http://nxg.me.uk
SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, UK