eripsa: Hey Dave, do you know what the definition of 'maven' is?
me: Sort of. I haven't ever looked it up. It's like a really serious hobbiest -- an expert.
eripsa consults dictionary.com
eripsa: A person who has knowledge or experience. An expert. Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field. Ace. Adept.
me: Hmmm. Pretty close.
eripsa: Are mavens female?
fizhburn: 'Maven' seems to imply femininity.
eripsa: Nothing in the definition makes that clear.
me: I think it's one of those words that connotes femininity because of the way it sounds. I don't know if that's included in the actual denotation. Why?
eripsa: I was quoted in Slate. "New Media maven Eripsa." I think they're playing on the gender ambiguity of the name.
fizhburn: From the OED, 1991, "I have in mind such English language mavens as William Safire and Robert MacNeil."
eripsa: Ok.
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