pronoun game

noun: In conversation, the act of purposefully avoiding the pronouns "her," "him," "she," and "he," to hide the gender of the person being spoken about from the listener.

Common substitutes include: they; they're; someone, this person; my friend

The particular phrase "pronoun game" comes from Kevin Smith's film "Chasing Amy" though the idea is pretty common.

pronoun game by wayfarer April 8, 2006

the pronoun game 

"playing the pronoun game" is when a character uses a pronoun such as "he" or "they" in place of a name forcing another character to ask "who?". Often used in films to give an excuse for exposition or as a cheap way to add mystery.

interviewee: he's coming
interviewer: who? who's coming? you can't just say "he" and expect everyone to know who you're talking about don't play the pronoun game with me

the pronoun game by fringnubs December 14, 2016