Ordinarily the genferret is an amiable, weasel-like creature, but the genferret is quick to respond to challenges, becoming a hissing, snarling blur of furry, fighting fury. Catching a whiff of challenge as to the gender specificity of the word "relict," the genferret is flushed with a rush of vitriolic pedantry searches the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, wherein his weak, beady eyes trace out the words,"The surviving partner of a person. Obs. {as} 1667 Jer. Taylor...Though the relict of a man or woman have liberty to contract new relations, yet (etc.)" If the genferret were a creature with the least bit of generosity of spirit, the genferret would confess to never actually having seen the word relict applied to a male, but instead, replete with a feeling of vindication, the genferret curls up and dozes off. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com