Blame it on Miss Manners -- Day 2/272

Walk: AMC Van Ness (Captain Phillips)
Distance: 3 miles and small home yoga practice

Miss Manners, the other night at the JCC, said only one thing I wish she hadn't.  To wit, she feels that one way our manners are out of sync is that 'older' people (I got the sense women in particular) dislike/disown the adjective 'elderly.'  Miss Manners herself refers to herself as 'elderly' - she's in her 70's, has been married a long time, has grown children and grandchildren and has worked at her career for decades.  Apparently she is happy to be referred to as 'elderly' and thinks it is in the best of taste for the rest of us who are 'of a certain age' to be content with the adjective as well.

Well, not ciwt.  No, not ciwt at all.  It is a horrid word, not a good thing about it as it has come through time.  Checking with all the various synonym sources (Roget's, MacMillan, The Free Dictionary, Collins Dictionary,...) I find the following for 'elderly woman':

Synonyms for elderly

• agedstar
• agingstar
• oldstar
• retiredstar
• ancientstar

• graystar
• been aroundstar
• decliningstar
• hoarystar
• long in toothstar

• lot of mileagestar
• no spring chickenstar
• oldenstar
• on last legstar
• over the hillstar

• tiredstar
• venerable

Then there is: crone, frump,granny, hag, old battle-ax, old dame, squaw, war horse.

Oh, and don't let me forget: biddy, old bat, old trout.

On and on the lists go with not one acceptable synonym for 'elderly.'  So, with all due respect, Miss Manners, No I will not politely accept 'elderly;' please do not call me that.  Thank you.