Alphabetical Entries: G

government/federal/FBI/plainclothes/secret/undercover agent, government investigative agent, intelligence officer, member of the FBI, spy.

GI. This nickname for U.S. armed forces personnel comes from "government issue," referring to military life, in which everything is standardized, orderly, and regimented, including the soldiers. Without the "Joe" it is perfectly inclusive.

nonsexist per se, "gabby" is functionally sexist and ageist because it is used exclusively for women and older men. Consider instead talkative, loquacious, garrulous, voluble, fluent, glib, effusive, exuberant, talky, wordy, verbose, long-winded, windy, big-mouthed, talking a blue streak. See also bull session, gossip, gossipy, yenta/yente.

Tongva. See also American Indian.

like many male-female word pairs, "gal" and "guy" have gone separate ways. "Gal" has few acceptable uses while "guy" is very common and is used in the plural to refer to both sexes. See also you guys.

see girl Friday.

see girlfriend.

gamesplayer, strategist, tactician; gamester, gambler, someone who sails suspiciously close to the wind/skates on thin ice/cuts corners/squeaks home; risk-taker, high-flyer.

expertise, skill, clever tactics, strategies, sharp playing, cunning, shrewd playing, dubious tactics, sleight of hand, trickery.

gambling. "Gaming" sounds more benign to entities using gambling for "revenue enhancement." Little known fact: the U.S. military has thousands of slot machines on overseas bases, generating more than $100 million annually. Although the money is used to fund recreation programs, critics say the military shouldn't be encouraging gambling or taking money out of the pockets of the troops (The Week).

garage worker/attendant, gas station attendant/worker.

garbage collector/hauler, trash/refuse collector, sanitation worker.

correct for Caribbean people living in Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala, who are sometimes inaccurately referred to as "Black Caribs."

gas fitter, gas pipe repairer/installer, gas appliance repairer/installer.

gatekeeper, gate tender/attendant.

gathered to one's ancestors/forebears/mothers and fathers.

always a man; there is no parallel for a woman and no inclusive term. See also cowboy/cowgirl.

gay is predominantly used to refer to men who are attracted to men, but it is often used in casual contexts (and in headlines) to describe LGBTQIA people, communities, issues, and events more broadly. Note that in many contexts it is preferable to use more inclusive terms, as the use of “gay” to stand for all can be viewed as obscuring these other groups. Also note that not all men who engage in same-gender sexual behavior identify as gay, so use the adjective cautiously. “Men who have sex with men,” if that is what you mean, can be used to describe a group regardless of how they self-identify. "Gay" is preferred to "homosexual"; the latter emphasizes sexual practice whereas "gay" refers to the person’s identity more broadly. “Homosexuality” is OK when describing the specific sexual aspects of lesbian or gay identity. A person's sexual orientation is irrelevant in most situations; question the need to mention it. Some people feel they can no longer use "gay" in its meaning of merry, lively, or high-spirited. However, there is usually more anti-gay sentiment being expressed here than a legitimate linguistic grievance. Because people think of their sexuality in a much more fluid way today, there is less binary thinking (you're either gay or you're straight), and younger people tend to see themselves more as individuals and less defined by their sexuality. Check with the people you're writing about and writing for; they may prefer terms like "queer" or "open" or “LGBTQIA.” See also gay (n.), gay "lifestyle," gay man, Gay rights, homophobia, homosexual, lesbian, queer.

do not use "gay" or "Gay" as a singular noun. "Gays," a plural noun, may be used only as a last resort (in the cases of newspapers, for example, in a hard-to-fit headline). See also gay (adj.), gay "lifestyle," gay man, gay rights, homophobia, homosexual, lesbian, queer.

these terms refer only to men and the use of "gay" (usually distinguishable in its different senses) could be ambiguous here. Consider using instead high-flyer, fun-lover, high-spirited person; hedonist, sensualist, flirt, bedhopper, free spirit, swinger. See also ladies' man, man about town, womanizer.

Sonia Johnson says, "It's funny how heterosexuals have lives and the rest of us have 'lifestyles'" (Going Out of Our Minds). The fuzzy concept of a "lifestyle" has become code to convey "otherness" and "wrongness." Most lesbians and gay men have as much or more in common with heterosexuals than they do with each other; they have jobs and library cards and dental appointments, they put money in parking meters, sprain their ankles, go to ballgames, and pay income taxes. There is no monolithic "lifestyle." The Associated Press and New York Times style guides have instituted rules against the use of this term.

this is the preferred term for a man with a same-sex emotional and sexual orientation. See also gay (adj.), gay rights, homophobia, homosexual, queer (adj.).

see marriage.

when discussing "gay rights," use the term "equal rights for ..." or "equal protection for ..." instead. These rights are often referred to by anti-gay groups as "special-interest privileges" or "special protected status." They are portrayed as rights the average person does not have, when in fact they are simply the same rights enjoyed by others—including the right to live free from discrimination in employment, housing, and education. See also gay (adj.), gay man, homophobia, homosexual, lesbian (n., adj.), queer (adj.).

always a woman; there is no parallel for a man and no inclusive term. Use only in its narrowest definition—that is, a Japanese woman with special training in the art of providing lighthearted entertainment, especially for men.