oooo what a good thread, ff!

there are several reasons; machines are the product of man, come from men, and are under man's control. As they have no intrinsic gender of their own, they are given a subordinate one to men, so that's traditionally the role of women. I'm not saying that's the way things are or ought to be (one can only dream ) but that's the extension of the thinking behind this tradition.

many of the mundane tasks that were mechanised during the Industrial Revolution were undertaken by women, hence the Spinning Jenny.

Many machines/machine types have become so wrapped up with male ego and chauvinism that its almost impossible to consider them otherwise. Could you relate to a sports car or power boat if you thought of it as male? Err no, I couldn't. The concept of "going for a ride" becomes abhorrent, does it not?

I'm sure there was another reason too but I'm a bit tatered tbh so I can't think of one right now.

i really dont know. it bugs me when people referr tho their car or boat as a she

*i removed the chain letter from my sig*

So if a woman were to have a car, they would call it he, since the gender assignments are reversed?

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams

They give them female names too, apparently. But they look on them like children.

so we look on machines as stubborn and uncoperative, and perceive them as female, women also view machines as stubborn and uncoperative, and they percieve them to be like children?

yay, clear as mud.

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams

There's also the way machines can be really fickle. You only start to call a machine a name when you've obviously got a lot to do with it, most likely your having to repair it a lot. When you pay it/her lots of attention and treat it/her right, everything will run smoothly but woe betide anyone who neglects his machine. Now I start to see the connection even if it is fairly sexist.

I always look at it as appreciation. If I appreciate something, I might use the female gender word "she" because I so love and adore all females. For example my great car, "she" drives like a dream. I would also describe certain women as dreams.

Sir S

It seems to make it more personal. Not just an inanimate object. Hurricanes are the one thing I can understand. I heard of a phrase years ago, and I do not want to see it. It goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". That sound like a hurricane.

Michael
"Hezekiah"

final, you ever see a woman angry? run for the hills !!

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams

try hurricane mixed with volcano and evil-killer ***** from hell on acid, and you're getting close.

and to think we gotta marry one at somepoint

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams

We've got years of nagging ahead of us Ben

Ah well c'est la vie i suppose. good thing i happen to be so charming

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams

ff said:

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Ah well c'est la vie i suppose. good thing i happen to be so charming

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I dunno Taw, do you want to take this or shall I?