DEAR ABBY: I am fuming! I heard it again today on the news -- I refer to the term "elderly." It went something like this:
"The elderly 63-year-old woman was able to give the police a description of her stolen automobile ..."
Abby, I am 69 years old and do not consider myself "elderly." Perhaps I don't walk as fast as I used to, but I still perform all my duties with enthusiasm and a clear mind. So I ask you, Abby, what age is "elderly"? -- JUST WONDERING IN CHICAGO HEIGHTS
DEAR WONDERING: My dictionary defines "elderly" as "being past middle age," a definition with which a growing number of people might disagree. I suspect that when many people use the term "elderly," what they really mean is "decrepit," which means "wasted and weakened by, or as if by, the infirmities of old age," which is no compliment.
Readers, please write and tell me how YOU would define "elderly."