Library banter: Window-replacing workmen.

The other day I was shelving books up on a library floor where they were replacing some windows, and at one point I found myself down on the floor shelving something on the lowest shelf right across through the books from where the workmen were.

"F*ck this!" and "F*ck that!" and "M*th*rf*ck*r!", they were like.

Then, next thing I know, I see a set of eyes embedded in a(n older) (white) (male) face peering at me from the other side of the shelf, and this older gruff voice being like, "Hey, sorry, we know this isn't really the place for that kind of language."

"Oh," I was like, "You don't have to worry about me, I use that language a lot myself."

At that, the guy chuckled, and then he was like, "We were glad you weren't a woman."

For a second, I was floored by the sexism, but didn't know quite how to respond, since it was kind of a nice-chivalrous sexism and it was meant well.

Then, I was like, "Oh, that doesn't necessarily mean anything.  Some of the filthiest mouths around that I know of belong to women."

Then, I was like, "Those are usually the fun ones."

The guy laughed at that but he was already back on his feet, and then I heard him on the other side of the shelf saying to his coworker, "I like this guy already."

. . .

Long-term, I wonder if he thought that I meant that those women were the fun ones sexually...  If so, did I accidentally affirm the sexism?  I didn't mean to.  Dang.  :/