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karoliina
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 7:38pm Post subject: english
Hi all,
As a non-native english speaker, I was wondering the other day while having a bath : The word "gentleman". Is there a female equivalent???! Since all I could come up with was "lady" (has bit posh connotation, someone with an upper class status), "madam" (same), "good woman" (which sounds like God-fearing house wife)etc. The word gentleman to my knowledge can ba applied to anyone despite their social status just as long as they behave like a - well, a gentleman. All the female ones I could think of to me they all had a meaning which had something to do with being submissive house wife?!!
As you can see, I have been bit bored lately and reading too much books!!!
X-D
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boffinbabe12
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 7:55pm Post subject: english
I think it's just lady... as in Ladies and Gentlemen.
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trouser material
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 7:56pm Post subject: english
Kindladies and Gentlemen......................
No, doesn't work.
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karoliina
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 8:14pm Post subject: english
hmm, I thought it was lady as well, but: If you say "oh, she's such a lady!" about someone, to me that sounds like the person is either bit pretentious or vain, but when you say "He's such a gentleman" there is no doubt that it is a compliment!!!
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Fryphile
Member *
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 9:28pm Post subject: english
What about gentlewoman? 
I think of myself as someone who is filled with love, whose only purpose in life was to achieve love. - Stephen Fry
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Gertrude Susanne
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 9:50pm Post subject: english
"She´s such a fine lady" 
what about gentlegirl, Fryphile X-D
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boffinbabe12
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:11pm Post subject: english
How about we change it to " Twats and Todgers" when addressing a room full of Conservative supporters.
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JVONEARTH
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:23pm Post subject: english
i'm not getting into this one X-D
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boffinbabe12
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:24pm Post subject: english
Oh dear, you aren't a tory are you????
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JVONEARTH
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:26pm Post subject: english
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boffinbabe12
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:27pm Post subject: english
Ooh.. I see....  ;-)
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JVONEARTH
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:32pm Post subject: english
it's true they are all a load of dirty lying bastards who will swear black is white to get your vote anyway............back to the thread
It is lady...........or in the case of Linda A of my town a dirty thieving lying old bitch X-D X-D
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boffinbabe12
Member
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Posted Thu Mar 29th, 2007 10:33pm Post subject: english
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joan
Member
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Posted Fri Mar 30th, 2007 11:17am Post subject: english
What is you first language, karoliina? If it is German, you won't find a good English equivalent of 'gnaedige Frau' and Dame in German is certainly not dame in English.
The French monsieur and madame are also not quite the same as sir and madam, I guess language just can't cope with all the cultural differences.
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karoliina
Member
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Posted Fri Mar 30th, 2007 12:10pm Post subject: english
its Finnish actually.. I don't think we have an equivalent in finnish either, we have "herrasmies" for a gentleman, but just "rouva" for woman which is "madam" or "mrs". Its just the context I am wondering on these rainy days at home... Im glad I got replies though, I thought I had just generated the most boring thread of all times!! 
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