and today's words are. . .


chivalry

and

determined

chivalry is a bit of an odd one, because it's so masculine (in my mind anyhow) (and this is my blog, so we're doing my mind, right?) (g*d help you all)

I was trying to think of a feminine equivalent, and considerate came into my head - but it's not quite as strong or purposeful as chivalrous; chivalry suggest a degree more of putting oneself out for someone else. . .

and as for determined, well I detoured around a little. . .

thru "deter", "indeterminate", "inter", "undermine", "terminate", had a bit of a Dalek moment with "exterminate", and then settled on the thought that Smallest Person is almost half way thru her last term at the school in the village and when the end of July comes I will never have reason to go back there again

and, strangely, that felt perfectly right and didn't make me sad in the least

have a good day,
it's beautiful here
and I very much hope it is
where you are too!

7 comments:

Mel said...

Forward movement, perhaps?


<---stubborn

(which equates to determined on occasion)

Chivalry is masculine in my brain, too.... (obviously has some brain retraining to do......and some caffinating to do...LOL)
(and some listening to the rain to do...)

I, Like The View said...

coffee. . . now that's a good idea!

thanks


:-)

Anonymous said...

Why is it bad that chivalry is masculine? Is it chivalrous for a lady to hold the door for a gentleman? (rhetorical)

Chivalry IS masculine. (http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/chivalry) I suppose the feminine equivalent would be 'ladylike' or, if one requires a gender neutral synonym: decorum, perhaps.

I, Like The View said...

it's not bad, it's just that it is a masculine word, and see "decorum" doesn't quite equal chivalrous either

and that was my dilemma

it is a masculine word, and there is no feminine equivalent

despite how anyone beahves

(my dad used to say it was chivalrous to walk on the roadside edge of the pavement, such that if a car splashed thru a puddle his trouser leg would get wet not my skirt, even on sunny days he would say this; then as I grew older, he then told me it was so he could spit in the gutter without having to lean across me - he's not a gutter spitter, and that didn't make sense when I was a chld)(with him, it was just a control thing)

(I have always walked on the roadside of the pavement and tell my children it's so I can stop them straying off the pavement and triping over the gutter into the road or the path of oncoming traffic)(that makes sense to me)

Anonymous said...

I always thought the roadside thing was so that the gentleman would shield the lady if an auto were to jump the curb.

Also: The man should always go UP the stairs last, so that if the lady loses her footing and stumbles, he can catch her; down the stairs first (same reason); and through the revolving doors first, to allow the lady to not have to push.

Why does there need to be a feminine equivalent of 'chivalrous' or any thing/word for that matter? Is it some innate sense of symmetry or balance that requires such parallels? Not everything has an opposite.

Oddly, I had a very similar discussion with a relative most recently. There must be a solar flare or something.

I, Like The View said...

now, see I go up last. . .

. . .cos I don't like a guy looking at my backside

;-)

you're right, there doesn't have to be an XX equivalent, and not everything has an opposite (apart from Joan of Arc I suppose there weren't lady knights, were there?)

it just struck me as curious!

:-)

Gordie said...

Ummmmmmm.... I'm late to the party on this one.

I think chivalry was a mediaeval culture about men showing courage and doing warlike challenges, while also being the "kinight in shining armour" in a woman's life.

I'm not sure how there could be a feminine equivalent... do we have a cultural image where a woman fights enemies, shows strength of character, and thereby protects a man?

Once we believe in equality between the sexes, generosity, courage and strength stop being a rescuer / victim thing.