head - *boy* ?

[Benjamin]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "yael oren" <yael_pou at h...> wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I have a little question about the terms head-boy and head-girl:
> 
> I always considered 'boy'/'girl' to be equivalent to 'child' (age 4-
12). The Hogwarts seventh-year students are 17-18. Does the 
term 'boy'/'girl' still apply to them? Isn't there a more appropriate 
word in English? In Hebrew there's a different word for 12-17 age 
group, and then another one for the 17-21 age group. Is there 
anything similar?
> 

I think outside of the rank of 'head boy' in a public school, a 17-
year-old would be insulted to be described as a 'boy', though there 
isn't really a fixed term, except 'teenager' really, which has 
overtones of 'obnoxious, won't wash, thinks he's fabulous, thug' 
or 'scum of the earth' bit like 'adolescent'.  Once they are 18 they 
are officially adults.  God help us.  Although actually, these days 
people generally become students at 18, and that is a different 
category altogether...  

Ben.

Ps. Tried to be politically correct and have boy/girl or he/she, but 
it read terribly.  Hence removal of same.  Either gender is, of 
course, inferred.