Folks, re "draughtsman": my father became a DRAFTSMAN when he finished his apprenticeship as a fitter and machinists in the late 1930s. Because he was classified as "essential manpower" (working in the drawing office on tanks etc.) he was unable to enlist in the Australian armed forces in WW2. Because of the pressure of work, the company was forced to hire additional staff for the drawing office. Many were women, and I am fairly sure that they were known as "female draftsmen".
I realise that the discussion has been a tad tongue in cheek, but before the days of PC-talk (and I don't mean the Bill Gates variety), "man" was universal. I think that we are better off today, because one of the glaring signs of oppression is language. And if you want to end oppression, then you have to amend culture, and this necessarily involves language. In my own school-days, Australian history was strictly Anglo-centric, and then totally male-centric. We learnt all about the brave English explorers heading off into the wilderness, etc. All chaps of course. As they weren't Australian at that time, they couldn't be blokes. And in the inevitable conflicts between the settlers and the Aborigines (in today's parlance: Indigenous Australians, Traditional Owners), the blacks were ALWAYS described as "murdering blacks". It took me a long time to realise that many of the attacks were provoked, and that the white retaliation was extremely savage. But that's another story, and one with very entrenched and vituperative opinions on all sides in Australia at the moment. BTW: The movie from the 1980s (I think) "The draftsman's contract" is worth looking for at the video / DVD store. From memory it is set in 18th century France, involves a man who has to draw a country house and his relationship with the owner's wife. A rather wonderful film with some very good actors, and some very well-done seductions. Cheers, John [EMAIL PROTECTED] -
