Timeline for Referring to objects as "she"
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2015 at 13:42 | comment | added | Edwin Ashworth | @MrHen Very cogent, Sir (I assume). The answerer seems to have adjusted their answer since your comments, to be more reasonable in its assertions. | |
| Sep 3, 2014 at 19:55 | history | edited | JS. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Added caveats, exceptions, wiggle-room
|
| Aug 21, 2012 at 20:27 | comment | added | Jay | I'd suspect rather the opposite of JS. Men refer to something as "she" as a term of endearment: they call a ship or a car "she" to personalize it because they value it highly. Okay, I'm just speculating too, but speculating wildly is so much easier than doing research. | |
| May 23, 2011 at 23:15 | comment | added | JS. | Of course mine is pure speculation. If you want references, you'll probably be happier in a less crowd-sourced medium. You're welcome to keep the downvote if you so desire. Your own speculation is as worthwhile and welcome as mine. I only relate my own experiences in the matter. Your observation that the objects a not necessarily unknown is valid, hence my frequent use of the weasel-word 'tends'. I agree with your observation about the vacuum cleaner, although I would tend to think in that case the use of "she" would tend to lean toward the pejorative. | |
| May 23, 2011 at 19:03 | comment | added | MrHen | -1 for what sounds like pure speculation. Most of the "she" style labels I hear are half terms of endearment and half self mockery. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if a man referred to a vacuum cleaner as "she" even though there is no life-threatening situation or potential harm. Likewise, objects with the label "she" are not necessarily unknown to the men involved. One aspect of the trope exemplifies the exact opposite: The man knows the object intimately and in ways no other man could. If you can find a reference, please edit it in and I will retract the downvote. | |
| May 23, 2011 at 18:58 | comment | added | Wayne | It's a bit broader than this, and seems to be tied to things that you mention, but also to (mother) nature, fate, etc, probably going back to the Greeks. | |
| May 23, 2011 at 18:43 | history | answered | JS. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |