Ok I will totally admit that, especially when during DEI discussions or other similar meetings, when my brain is about to say "woman" I can freak out and over-correct and I have absolutely said "females".
I used to say "boys and girls", even my female wife says "girls" is fine, but 1 time in 2009 I got yelled at for using "girls" and I have never recovered.
I'll admit I was "only" 20 hours into NMS and I was feeling the staleness, but a lot of that is probably that I don't know what I'm doing.
Luckily, I followed your advice before I knew it - I did already get to the anomaly and I did just start an expedition from that current save. I just got off the first planet on the expedition. One thing where I think I goofed is that I made the primary save too easy (all relaxed) and the expedition already feels more natural in that it's not as easy-mode.
thanks again! I really like that the expedition gives me a clear "to-do list" which is what my brain tends to go for.