Did they also say male solicitor when talking about a bloke?

no! that’s why it was notable - some sort of almost Edwardian throwback. 

The media struggles with this too when reporting on court cases.

If she's under 21 and the victim of a crime, they call her a girl.

If she's over 17 and the accused, she's a woman.

Person, woman, man, camera, TV

"Girl" is invariably patronising if referring a woman over the age of 21. 

"Woman" is fine as a generic description. 

For people I know or admire, I always use the word "lady" which has connotations of gallantry, chivalry and respect. Maybe a little old-fashioned, but I don't care. 

The Edwardians are greatly underrated anyway. 

Adult human female.

I had this issue at a client golf day. Female golfers are always "ladies", yet it feels a bit anachronistic to use that term when referring to female clients in a business context. Two worlds collide...

I always refer to "ladies" in a professional/business context. But then I suppose I am what those "incel" fellows would call a "white knight". 

“Lady” has too many class and moralistic overtones to be appropriate unless you know them. It reminds me of that creepy judge talking about Lady Archer during her husband’s libel trial. “Has she elegance? Has she fragrance? Would she have, without the strain of this trial, radiance? How would she appeal?” 

“Woman” is fine, if it’s really necessary to bring gender into things. Usually it’s not. 

I shouldn't dream of referring anyone I know as a "woman". It's an awful word. 

I find that teenagers don't have any "class and moralistic" squeamishness about being called ladies rather then girls. It's a sign of respect. At school, when we reached the Sixth Form, we were "gentlemen" rather than "boys" and it no-one objected. 

Ladies is used when gentleman is used? I really don’t care about what term is used. It’s just language. Language dies out naturally if it’s not relevant. 

There are daily occurrences where one, for example, doesn't know someone's name. "What's the name of that lady in accounts?" Would you really say woman?

Say girl Dux and she will be pleased

• imo 

Maybe if she's 60 lol. 

I find bird works in most situations.

How did the word "woman" become so scary?

I have been called ‘lady’ as an address by others when it is their second language. It’s used wrongly and sounds terrible but I don’t mind as their is no intention behind it and my language skills are not such that I could criticise anyone. 

Woman is an awful word? Wtf

Girl is ok up to adulthood, I'd just about stretch that to 21 if you like, but after then it is patronising. I can take or leave lady, it's a bit twee but not offensive.You definitely can't call an adult in a professional context a 'girl'. 

I don't know why the oldies need to refer to a solicitor as a lady solicitor, any more than you would say a gentleman solicitor. Barking. Maybe they're still a bit shocked by them.

I have never heard the term lady solicitor used this century. I will happily take girl until my dying breathe. 

Father Ted comes to mind, "I'll just wait until the solicitor gets here"

"I am the solicitor"

"you can't be, you're a woman"

Coreless, Corless, Corless and Sweeney

What dux said but lady sounds unnecessarily formal as well. The English language is missing proper female equivalents for the words chap, bloke and guy. 

a one off - can’t imagine it happening again - heh for bertha’s italics. 
 

eddie - happened to watch that episode very recently- “they wouldn’t make it now”. 

My view - in a work capacity 

-“give it to the lady/woman” over there is right

-give it to the girl over there is fine if a teen otherwise it’s not okay. 
 

I used to cringe at a colleague calling secretaries who were older than him “the girls”. Felt patronising and he sounded a bit of a power weirding dick. He did eventually get told off by our boss. 

In a non work capacity I think most things go. 

Woman is not a polite term for someone known to you in an office environment.  

When I worked in law, many years ago to be fair, so many of the male lawyers would refer to the secretaries as the girls, or say the girls in accounts etc. Shudder.

It's context dependent, surely?  (A lot of women of all ages, when together, tend to refer to themselves as 'girls' etc) And tone will affect how usage is received by whomever you're talking to.  I would default to woman for all adults, if you're uncertain, even if it sounds a bit formal.

Bullace you just have to make sure you’re telepathic in all relevant situations, so that’s progress isn’t it. 

why is it so much more complicated than for males?

female only threads are always “ladies only” never “women only”?