ita--no, you're right in that that there's still some gender essentialism there: why should sparkly nails be associated more with women than men, and strength more with men than women?

But I still liked the overall tone, that being bounded by fixed concepts is wrong and here's some ways that people are resisting.

dipping pizza in ranch is a thing. not my thing, but a thing.

It is a K-Bug thing. We just ask for Ranch. Asking for "white ketsup" is just weird.

I really like my job but right now I want to throw my laptop out in to the street and see how long it takes for the cars to completely destroy it. Ok, ok, it isn't the computer that has me frustrated, more the people who didn't answer my e-mails all morning who are NOW pounding me with work that has to be done ASAP. Ummm, no. I'll get done what I can and the rest will have to wait. Asshats.

Hivemind: I'm editing a review that contains a line about a (UK) Foreign Office minister. The sentence reads:

"Enter Toby Bell, rising star in the Foreign Office, private secretary to a flamboyantly ambitious minister running the covert extraordinary rendition of a jihadist arms dealer."

Our style guide says to lowercase "minister," but I think it will be confusing to American readers, for whom that word describes a religious office, not a governmental one. What other word can I use in place of "minister" that would describe someone who works in the Foreign Office?

The whole article depends on fixed concepts. They just drew their line in a different place. Not as harmful a place as many, but why keep a subjective line in the first place?

Dream big, man.

I love this comic [link] because that is just perfectly awful.

Jesse, I don't know if this [link] is the right tone, but it is sweet (oh, and lock up your meds, people). This [link] is all-round great, though.

I think it's clear enough in the sentence, but does the minister have another title you can use?

You guys, I feel like a scam artist: I held my expired coupon out to the woman behind the cash register at CVS saying, "I think I'm too late to use this?" and she gave me the discount anyway!

I feel you on that, Suzi. I only have a half hour left at work,so I have decided not to ask anyone if they have anything I could do (as I would normally when I am idle) because nothing ever takes half an hour.

I think it's clear enough in the sentence, but does the minister have another title you can use?

Well, I guess that's what I'm asking -- is there another title that would describe someone who works in the Foreign Office? It's a review of a book I haven't read, so my knowledge of the specific character being discussed is nil.

eta: but I'm glad you think it reads OK as is.

That first link wasn't there anymore, ita. But I followed them!

It's a review of a book I haven't read, so my knowledge of the specific character being discussed is nil.

Oh, I hoped it was an actual person and you could find out they were the Undersecretary for Belgravia or whatever. In general, I think the well-read American would know what it means.

Maybe say cabinet minister to clarify? If that's even right, but maybe some sort of specifying adjective would help.