Being glad that I'm not a cat, I'm curious as to when "mentee" became a popular replacement for protégé and why. The dictionary says the word was coined in the 1960s, but that is all I know.

Do most organizations use mentee? I've used and heard protégé (with or without the accent marks) for so long that "mentee" sounds kind of stilted or maybe slangish. Dunno. It does make me think of one of those endangered creatures from Florida, though...

Thoughts?

John,

We use mentee in our organisation, although it does get some pretty questioning looks when it is presented. One participant suggested that the more correct term would be 'mentoree' - but this increases the obvious linkages with endangered marine mammals...I prefer protege.

A