s&r,

Try imagining that you are female and you read, "Everyone must have had his patience tried." I'd have thought you (as a female) might object. Women didn't used to 'cos they 'knew their place', knew better than to make a fuss, didn't have too much self-respect, etc.

In virtually every case, if you use "they" or 'their' instead of 'he/she', 'he', 's/he' etc., you will have made perfect sense. I say virtually because there is the occosional formulation where 'they' or 'their' might be confusing.

The trolley example is very odd. Since when did the word 'trolley' (in the English Language) have a gender?

As for bigotry,

1. The question looks answered to me.

2. The basis of the falsISH attribution to Voltaire is nice and clear at the very end of McGrath's link. Voltaire wrote some like the quote, so Ms. Hall was correct when she said it was a summary of his position.

3. Found this quote under bigotry in a quotations book,

      "We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."
































    Jonathan Swift.




Ivor