Alphabetical Entries: C

house of prostitution. See also prostitute.

cattle owner/raiser/buyer/grower/producer, rancher, farmer.

malicious, spiteful, snide, sly, underhanded, disingenuous, envious. Beware of "catty," which is used exclusively of women; the alternatives can refer to either sex.

arising from the old "racial" classifications, where it referred to peoples indigenous to Europe, western Asia, northern Africa, and much of the Indian subcontinent, "Caucasian" today is used infrequently (usually only by some police departments and hospitals) but erroneously as a synonym for "white" or "European/European American." "When it comes to the crunch, Caucasian doesn't mean much more than 'white people who play golf'" (Geoffrey Nunberg, Going Nuculear). "Caucasian" is correct when used to refer to the region between the Black and Caspian seas that includes Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, but for the peoples use instead "people in or from the Caucasus." See also -oid, race, white.

cavalry soldier/officer, horse soldier, trooper. Or, specifically, Hussar, Lifeguard, Lancer, etc.

cave dweller, early/ancient human, Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon. Plural: cave people. The use of "cavemen" as a pseudogeneric and the cartoon image of a cavewoman being dragged away by her hair have obscured women's position in prehistory: researchers now say that, contrary to common assumptions, female and male roles were often balanced more than currently, and it was women who were probably responsible for making tools and pottery and for such major technological innovations as agriculture and textiles.

because this can mean someone who abstains from sexual activity (especially because of religious vows), someone who is currently refraining from sexual activity, or someone who is unmarried, it can be ambiguous; clarify your issues.

chair, moderator, committee/department head, presiding officer, presider, president, chairer, convener, coordinator, group coordinator, leader, discussion/group/committee leader, head, speaker, organizer, facilitator, officiator, director, supervisor, manager, overseer, administrator, monitor, clerk. Some people use "chairwoman" and "chairman," but it is better to keep this term gender-free because "chairwoman" is perceived as a less weighty word and because "chairperson" is an awkward and self-conscious term used primarily for women. There is much linguistic support for the short, simple "chair": it was, in fact, the original term (1647), with "chairman" coming into the language in 1654 and "chairwoman" in 1685. Using "chair" as both noun and verb nicely parallels the use of "head" for both noun and verb. (People who are upset about being called "a piece of furniture" apparently have no problem with the gruesome picture of a "head" directing a department, division, or group, nor is there evidence that anyone has actually confused people chairing meetings with their chairs.) See also chairman (v.), chairmanship.

chair, head, lead, moderate, direct, supervise, officiate, preside, convene, coordinate, facilitate, control, oversee, organize, govern.

chair, leadership, presidency. See also chairman (n.).

the only "challenged" term that was ever seriously used (and not for long nor by everyone) was "physically challenged." That attempt to name one of the realities of disability innocently provoked the ridiculisms that were then charged to "political correctness." Even Fowler's Modern English Usage, 3rd ed., which ought to be able to distinguish between genuine and deliberately farcical word usages, credits "the political correctness movement of the 1980s and 1990s" with "notorious formations" like "cerebrally challenged" (stupid) and "vertically challenged" (short). If it needs to be spelled out, the rash of simulated "challenged" words came not from the so-called PC "movement" but from the anti-PC "intelligentsia." See also disabilities, physically challenged/different, political correctness, ridiculisms.

historically a man. If you need a similar, inclusive term, consider treasurer, chief officer/steward, household official.

room/personal attendant, servant, cleaner, housekeeper.

woman or man.

man or woman.

this term predisposes women to expect more change than many actually experience in menopause. It's not very scientific either. See also menopause.

this sex-specific term conveys a precise meaning; because there is no parallel for men, you might sometimes need sex-neutral alternatives: singer, nightclub singer, vocalist, balladeer. See also torch singer.

see Hanukkah.

chaperon. See also feminine word endings.

woman or man.

man or woman.

char, charworker, cleaner, janitor, maintenance worker, custodian. Plural: chars, cleaning personnel/crews, commercial cleaners, building-service employees, clean-up workers.

these terms have been used almost entirely for women (often with the implied concept of virgin/virginity); except for priests and monks, men were not held to any sexual standards. With the advent of HIV/AIDS, chastity has made a modest comeback as it is the only truly effective preventive. Use the terms for both sexes or not at all. See also celibate.

retain in historical contexts where its companion word, "chatelain," is also used.

although this term comes from a man's name (Nicolas Chauvin, known for his exaggerated patriotism and attachment to Napoleon), it seems male-associated not because of its etymology but because of its mid-20th-century use for men in such terms as "male chauvinist" and "male chauvinist pig." In this case, use "sexist" or "male supremacist." Both women and men can be chauvinists in the original sense. See male chauvinist/male chauvinist pig.