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Dictionary of English - -person
-person
In recent years this has been used as a suffix to avoid -man or -woman. It is useful for employers, who should not appear to be advertising specifically for a male or female employee, and also when the gender of the person is not known. For example, a pub owner may advertise for a barperson, but once the vacancy is filled the employer will refer to the new barman or barmaid.
Advertisers use similar words for jobs traditionally done by men, for which they expect only male applicants: dustperson; milkperson; handyperson. Such terms are seldom used otherwise, except in fun. When the gender of the person is known, -person nearly always refers to a woman; a man will be called a chairman or a spokesman, a woman is more likely to be referred to as a chairperson or spokesperson.
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Blue recalls the sea and the sky. Green symbolizes the earth. The red star represents unity. White stands for peace. Effective date: 27 June 1977.
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