Why age, not shoe size or the colour of your front door?

?

I think I'm pretty immune to feeling patronised, lizzypop. It hardly ever occurs to me that someone might be trying to patronise me. It is possible that this is because they aren't but are just being natural. One's (rough) age is so visible, one's bricklaying skills not so much.

What you do for a living and how old you are tell people something about you? Not much but more than other 'key' facts might. Quiz padding is all it is.

I am not particularly secretive about my age (hence my username!) but don't understand why it seems to be an automatic question on most forms - I tend to say over 21. I may be 70 in chronological terms but inside I am still 25 (although sometimes my body reminds me I'm not!)

Btw way big foot here has a white front door. I just knew everyone was waiting to know.

Baggs I forgot to use the word patronising. I don't like being patronised by age related stereotypes. Just me as a product of my dear old dad's example ?

Surely the police will have to stop using the blanket terms male and female in these PC days of so many different genders? If I look like a woman but identify as something else can I sue if they label me as female?

Watching "The Chase" every contestant introduced themselves in this order:

Name, Age, Occupation.

They are obviously told to do it this way.

BTW, that woman in the red jumper needs a professional bra fitting.

I’m 10.5 plus sales tax......42 and vat in your world.

I think there's a reason why male and female are used, though I don't know what it is. Just thinking that a person can be a manly female or a womanly male (well, not the same person doing both, I suppose, unless they are a VG actor/ress).

Oh yes, watermeadow, me too. The words 'youth' or 'young woman/man' could even be used. Anything other than 'a male' or 'a female'!

My name is Wheniwasyourage and I am 29 + VAT and service charge.

Local press reports call anyone over 55 “elderly”
What gives me apoplexy is the police jargon where everyone is a male or a female. MAN OR WOMAN, I shout at the radio or the paper.

Besides which pigeonholing or stereotyping is actually a useful tool in human relationships and understanding of the world. It's not always a bad thing.

Also, I don't care if people pigeonhole me. I know they'll get it wrong but I don't see that as a cause for worry.

If one is a grandmother one has clearly had to deal with stuff. I think the term suggests (rightly or wrongly) that one's had more to deal with and therefore has had more experience of life than, say, a bricklayer. Bricklayer doesn't tell you as much about a person as grandmother or grandfather does.

That doesn't mean a bricklayer hasn't had to deal with stuff just as much as a grandmother just that the connotations of bricklayer are fewer.

Age says something more than various other descriptors too. That's my take anyhoo.

Age 35 + vat, shoe size 5/38 door soon to be anthracite.

or 'elderly woman, 72, hits would-be mugger with her umbrella'.
'She is now up on a charge of assault and will appear before magistrates tomorrow.'

We would all be referred to as ‘pensioner, Mrs Smith’ in the news.
It seems to be a very British thing ( mentioning age) especially in newspapers.

I get a bit annoyed when they refer to someone as 'grandmother' or 'grandfather' - as in 'grandmother, Mrs Smith, was mugged'. I'm sure there's much more to her than being a grandmother.

I agree with Synonymous that reporting someone's age allows the reader to neatly pigeonhole that person and apply hackneyed stereotypes. However, stereotypes should be challenged. Labelling people by age is also carried out by calling them pensioners. Even though pensions may be claimed by people in their 50s, the first idea is 'old age' pension, (happily now, better known as state pension). People are, apparently, avid to know a person's age and some are rude enough to ask outright. I don't ask anyone (including children) how old they are. I think it's because my dad was on a lifelong hobby horse about irrelevant and intrusive, personal questions and partly because I'm not particularly interested. Sometimes, I tell myself that I'm not interested enough. ?

GrandmaMoira, I think it's to elicit sympathy. Grandmother is meant to make the person sound old and frail.

Media reports on women also say "mother" or "grandmother", not "teacher" or whatever their job is. It always make me think we only exist because we've had children.

I often wonder why when the media report on a woman they always say things like 'Mary 58'. They rarely say 'Martin 58'. What does her age have to do with things?

Phoenix I have a feeling that we are all supposed to be kept in little boxes for identification purposes - and they also have their own little boxes to tick of course!

Jalima love the age being the same as shoe size - having gone all continental of course.

pensionpat sadly I don't think we can do anything except reveal our weight unless we become hermits.

I will reveal anything but my weight!

Shoe size 39, front door brown. Age the same as shoe size

They usually mention the value of someone's property in newspaper reports too.

I'm not concerned about age being mentioned, just don't understand why it is considered relevant.