ageism

to avoid a prejudicial image of aging: (1) do not refer to someone's age when it is inappropriate or irrelevant; (2) be respectful of young and old by checking how you'd use the same words for someone in between. (Gerontologist Patricia Moore, in Modern Maturity, says we're the only country in the world that asks age-related questions by using the word "old." In French, the question and answer are: "What age have you?" "I have 53 years." In Italian: "How many years have you?" "I have 53 years." When providing someone's age, use "Rip Van Winkle, 78" instead of "78-year-old Rip Van Winkle." See also adolescent, children, dirty old man, elder/elderly, old, old lady/old man, old maid, old-timer, old woman, oldster, senior/senior citizen, teen/teenager, youth.