Adjective usage/Word choice: old, elderly, senior or mature

[emka]

Nobody wants to be old, so people come up with euphemisms for the inevitable. I’m aware that it’s a little bit like walking on eggshells, and there is no hard and fast definition of “old” age. But if we consider a person to be “old” and use the euphemism “elderly” (elderly lady) or “senior” (senior citizens) – is it appropriate at all to call them elderly or senior without insulting them? Is there a commonly accepted rule?

I've always thought that “elderly” was appropriate if the person is visibly frail and/or sick (think of an old person, 80+, with a walker). If not, I would try to find a way of phrasing my sentence with “senior” (think of a white-haired old person, 70-ish, playing golf). And if the person, even if officially retired, grey and somewhat wrinkled, is clearly fit and active, I would probably resort to “mature” (think of a person skiing downhill or riding a horse).

In other words: I would wiggle and weasel my way out of the problem. But as I work in an industry that’s selling products for the “old” age group (and I have to write in English about them), I thought I’d better get some native speakers’ advice.

Any practical tips?



Thank you.

 

[5jj]

As you say, it's a problem to avoid if we can. However, we can't, so - here's my personal opinion. I'd avoid 'old', 'elderly' and 'ag(e)ing; Even 'senior (citizens)' smacks of old age to me. 'Mature' seems as good as any for an adjective. As for a noun 'over-50s' seems acceptable. As the barrier is set at 50, when many people are still working and very active, it is a nicely inclusive term.

 

[TheParser]

Nobody wants to be old


NOT A TEACHER

(1) But everyone wants to live a long time!

(2) Here in the United States, you might not sell too many products to old people

like me if you called us old or elderly.

(3) On the other hand, sometimes advertisers think that we old people are stupid.

They claim that product X is for those people in their "golden years." There's nothing

golden about being old.

(4) I just went to a dentist to have a tooth extracted. The dentist gave me a

"senior discount." (I wish that it had been more than 10%!) And every month I get

a pass for only $14 to ride the buses and subway in my city. It's called a "senior

pass."

(5) So I agree with the teacher. Probably the terms "senior citizen" and "mature

people" are the least offensive. In your advertisements, you might throw in the

phrase "wise with age" in order to flatter us, even though a lot of old folks are anything

but wise. We're just old.


*** UPDATE ***


I just remembered there used to be a magazine for us entitled "Senior Life."

It has changed its title to "Fifty Plus." It thus avoids the whole problem. You might

simply market your products to "People 50+" or "People 60+."