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What exactly is a "tender" age?
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1
2009/02/11 - 11:09pm

I always thought that descriptions of someone doing something at the "tender age" of X were a little strange since I've never been able to get a handle on exactly what that means.  If someone is talking about someone doing something at the "tender age" of 20 or so that's generally associated with people who are a little older (say, starting a business or winning a political office or something like that), that makes some sense, but why is it the person's age that's "tender?"  It also seems a little strange because it seems to be describing people as "tender" when they're actually doing something that would seem to require a little bit of toughness.  Of course, it's probably all relative, and what may be a "tender" age may not be quite so "tender" for another (The thing that triggered this train of thought was glancing at an obituary in the paper this morning that said that a person "gently left this world at the tender age of 63).

Does this bug anyone else?  What ages are not tender?

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2
2009/02/26 - 11:25pm

"At the tender age of 63" hints at an ironic (is that the right word?) use of the expression - when it actually means the exact opposite of "at a tender age". For example, Jehoiada deposed Queen Athaliah and enthroned the legitimate child-king at the tender age of 91. This use of the expression is usually used when making a point, in this case, "never think you're too old", or "imagine that!"

OTOH I am a bit puzzled at the use of the term in the obituary. It strikes me as a bit of a misapplied metaphor in this case. The deceased was neither at a tender age nor at an anything-but-tender age. If the person had died at age 93 or 13 instead of 63, the use of "tender age" might have been valid. The bereaved was probably simply trying to verbalize feelings of tenderness.

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3
2009/03/02 - 5:22am

Right - I would've thought it a little inappropriate to also write that into the obituary, unless the family had a wicked sense of humor.

I have used the phrase “tender age of X” at various times, both out of irony and sincerity. I think it's a very widespread phrase that is completely open to interpretation. I love it.' class='wp-smiley' />

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