Of "issues" and "gender" and "holiday trees" (Was: Something wrong...)

[justcarol67]

> > > Carol, who has "issues" with "issues" and wonders whatever 
happened to English
>  
> > Tonks:
> > I think that Yahoo is buying into the custom in business that one
can never have a "problem" <snip>
> 
> Goddlefrood:
> 
> This kind of thing has been going on for years, look at Rolls Royce
 motor cars, they never break down, they merely fail to proceed.
>
Carol:

LOL! These days, at least in the U.S., a store can't even have a sale.
It's either a "sales event" or just an "event." "Join us for our
August clearance event!" Sheesh. And I'm sure I've already complained
here about "holiday trees" and "holiday cards." Or how about
"precipitation in the form of rain" when "rain" will do just fine, or
"crisis situation" for "crisis"?

Another thing that gets to me is being asked for my "gender" on a
form. I always want to respond that, not being a noun or pronoun, I
don't have one. I do, however, have a sex: female.

Carol, who values linguistic precision but fears that it's a lost cause