this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Like "mix". It's fairly simple to most people who have common sense and aren't actively trying to be offended over nothing.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Dr. = Doctor. Mr. = Mister. Mrs. = Misses. There is also "Miss", which has no period because it isn't an abbreviation.

Mx. = ?.

Is "Mx." an abbreviation? No? Why does it have a period? You pronounce it phonectically, though we do not do that with Dr. or Mr. or Mrs.?

I don't oppose the use of gender neutral language, but I don't think the pronunciation of "Mx." or the fact that it isn't an abbreviation is obvious. It conforms to conventions in one way and departs from conventions in another.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I pronounce it phonetically precisely because this is not an abbreviation of any word. But honestly I have no idea, this asking.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

”Good morning, I am Mx. Vary, your science teacher." That's it, that's all you need for the entire year.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Do your classes take place entirely over text? They’re asking how you pronounce that in speech.

Mr. Is short for “Mister” Mrs is short for mistress, but is usually pronounced “Misses”

So how does one pronounce Mx.? Mix or Mixter? Mixes? And sometimes Xs are pronounced like Z, so is it just Mmmz?

Asking how to pronounce someone’s preferred pronouns is entirely reasonable when their preferred pronoun is not a regular part of the English language. I’d rather know how to say something and not offend someone than say it wrong for who knows how long and definitely offend them.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

In my area, it is pronounced "mix".

Switch the scenario a bit: "Dr. = doctor. Wait--dr? How do you pronounce that? Oh, dr = doctor." Info learned and no conflict needed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If they're saying it, they just told you how to pronounce it. That's my point.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, but I’m trying to learn for myself, and have never had anyone say it to me.

So you’re not really helping by assuming I should know how to pronounce a new word

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm not assuming you would know. Nobody is. If they're introducing themselves, that's how you would know. If you are a third party and want to learn for yourself, there is a very easy way to do that.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago

Okay, but like, if you were in their class you would hear them say it to you and then you'd know.

If you actually cared you'd just look it up tbh.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago

maybe the x is silent? is it pronounced mi, like in the solfege song?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

Sure, but Mx. Vary wasn't fired for using the honorific one time.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Your version of "common sense" in this situation only applies to a small minority that naturally extrapolates beyond the meaning of the statement alone.

"Mx." as a prefix is not in any way established in common vernacular, nor does it easily make sense unless you assume they're doing something specific that most people don't do.

However, the law says that anyone is free to do so as they please; you can sexually identify in any way and must not be discriminated against for that in terms of your employment.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (4 children)

And I thought it is m-ex, like reading the letter "x".

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

I thought that they were declaring themselves as a mail exchange

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm more of a 'vi' guy.

:q

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

It's not immediately intuitive in my opinion, but it does make sense once you remember that other M- honorifics start "Mi". Mister, missus, miss. Then it makes sense to follow, mix.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I think some people use it one way and others the other. I don't think there's one universal correct way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I've heard it both ways. I'm sure no one would be offended either way you say it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

You're the divisive one here, suggesting people are hateful for having legitimate questions.

It's so simple, just like Mr. Is pronounced merr.

You're very much part of the problem.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I don't remember writing that anyone was hateful. Actively trying to be offended, yes. Legitimate questions ask questions like this "So how is Mx pronounced?". The comment was I replied to intended to mock it, not ask in good faith. But see, you'd have to come to that conclusion by using common sense, so here we are again.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (7 children)

It's not "fairly simple if you have common sense". The known abbreviations have been in use for a hundred or more years and are widely known. Everyone knows how to pronounce them, the only curveball is Mrs being misses since it was originallymistress but that word later became associated with cheating and "ladies of the night".

Mx was made up recently, it stands for nothing AFAIK. They just took the standard M beginning and slapped X on it because X tends to mean "unknown".

It's akin to asking you to address me as "Zf. Cat" because that's what makes me feel comfortable.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Repeat your argument when the concept of Mr and Mrs were introduced.

Language evolves as we learn new things. Computer used to refer to a person. "We have floppy discs, so why make a new name for CDs?"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They weren't introduced in anything like an analogous way. Mr and Mrs evolved slowly over decades and even centuries from older forms referring to master and mistress.

I don't have a strong opinion about Mx either way, but as an amateur linguistics nerd I can assure you that the way it's been introduced to our lexicon is very different from these much older terms.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Yep, language flows and changes over long periods of time, not through a court order or "marginalized" people screaming "we want our own pronoun that we just came up with to be culturally except! If you don't comply, you are an insensitive asshole!"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

How slowly was the introduction of the word covid? As a linguist, the change of language is the fascination.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Most floppy disks aren't floppy either, so maybe not the best example.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago

The argument is "Mr and Mrs are established in society. It is stupid to add Mx."

Floppy discs were well established. Was it stupid to add CD to our vocabulary?

[–] [email protected] -3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Actually the floppy part of the disk is inside the plastic case. It's a floppy piece of magnetic tape.

But that's a great example of how language evolves - people don't even know what the name means, and yet they know what it is.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ok, Zf. Cat :) If that makes you feel comfortable it costs me nothing to be considerate of your preference. See?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Now you have to remember that for every interaction with me. If you happen to call me sometime else, I'll grit my teeth and have to correct you or if I'm an asshole, I'll berate you about it, constantly. You will also have to refer to me as Zf. Cat to everyone you know, regardless of whether or not they know me, or are in my presence.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You should be asking yourself why you assume the person would react angrily instead of just politely correcting the pronunciation. If someone accidentally mispronounces my name I gently correct them, while smiling, and I have never once been offended or take it personally. You also assume it is a heavy burden on others to simply call people what they'd like to be called. When it is not. Being angry over this is not a healthy attitude. It's simple manners to be considerate of others and that is precisely what the person is asking for, nothing more.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

If you have to correct someone about your name/title every single time it gets pretty damn annoying. I met a girl years ago whose name was spelled Remy but pronounced Ray-me she said "I hate my parents for it" (I doubt she actually hated her parents, but hated the fact that they gave her a "bad" name).

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[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago (3 children)

So common sense is dictated now by a few members of niche social media circles?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What is the actual anger you feel?

A few people in our society would like their honorific to be Mx. How does that impact your life?

[–] [email protected] -2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

One, it's virtue signaling at its best.

Secondly, randomly adding in the letter x to things is not 'common sense'.

Common sense is the ability to make practical judgments and behave in a sensible way. It's the knowledge and experience that most people have, or should have.

So my original point still stands. 'Mx' is not common sense. Knowing not to play a game of chicken with traffic, is common sense. Maybe this is why common sense isn't so common anymore, people just appropriate words/phrases to mean whatever they want, instead of what they mean.

This is how we've ended up in a world where the word literally no longer means the word literally.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Bitcoin isn't common sense. NFTs aren't common sense. Picking fruit in Brazil, sending it to China for packaging, and shipping to Brazil for resale isn't common sense.

Common sense doesn't work as a magic guide.

Is it virtue signaling for someone named Benjamin to ask to be called Ben? The request is to know their name. That's all.

Also, virtue signaling what? I don't see it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Bitcoin and NFTs... That's the counter argument you go with. Fucking Christ...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You'd think someone using the name CaptPretentious would be all in favor of things being made up by niche social circles.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago

Sorry was I supposed to put my first name, last name, social Security number, and mother's maiden name as my username?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Well see, common sense would have me ask "hm, how do I say that?" then google it, then when I see that it's simply pronounced "mix" I'd say "oh, okay". And then go on about my day... instead of ranting about how hard it is to figure out and how angry it should make everyone. But that's just me.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If it were me, I would probably figure out what the person I'm trying to argue arguing with was actually arguing about. Instead of getting up on a soapbox and pretending like I know what I'm arguing about. But that would take effort.

But you keep using those canned responses you got ready to go.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wow, those two letters really shook you. Deep breaths.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

My position has fuck all to do with the letters.

But you really need it to be don't you. Because your canned responses only work if that's what I'm arguing about.