Anyone who has read Phillip Roth's brilliant book "The Human Stain" knows exactly what Mr. Pitt is talking about here. Years ago as I was reading it a young woman soundly defeated an older right leaning man here on the ADN comments section with her knowledge of economic issues. As I attempted to tell my mate about her younger sisters accomplishment I made the mistake of saying the young woman was a "young lady". My mate was so repelled by that term that she missed the entire point of what I was attempting to tell her. We are all creatures of habit and common usage of language. To me the adjective "lady" will forever more be no more offensive than the term "gentleman". Look for the big picture rather than the real or imagined meanings behind commonly used adjectives that become objectionable as decades go by and we will draw closer as a world community rather than further distracted and divided.