[user104658]

I wouldn't do it personally and I think it's something that's outdated, so not something I'd encourage. On the other hand I don't think older people who do it are INTENDING to be demeaning in any way and when it's "habitual speak" it's not necessarily as simple as consciously not doing it, it probably just comes out, so I'm not looking at old folks who use these terms and thinking "ugh how awful".

Up here it's "hen", of course .