Where did the people go?

Why do Guardianistas religiously use 'men and women' instead of 'people'?

'The men and women who...'

Even after 50 right-on years, they need to make their position absolutely clear, in every bloody thing they write, that Guardian man may not embrace Guardian woman.

WE KNOW. We get it. OK?

We know where you are coming from. We can spot one of your few remaining readers at 100 paces and a sodding Guardian writer about a mile and half off without field-glasses. The big red flag is a bit of a give-away.

Do move on, FFS. Besides being boring and wasting your paymasters' dwindling ink budget, laborious tautology is harmful to a journalist's reputation as you'll discover once the last Guardian reader finally grows up and you have to find work elsewhere.

Call yourself wordsmiths?

Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte. - Pascal

AFTERTHOUGHT

Wouldn't it be more right-on to write 'men and women and transsexuals'?