to think that "howling like a fishwife" is unacceptable

[Merguez]

when DH is using it to describe me.

Isn't a trooper a low rank of soldier, so traditionally a male?

I thought when I saw the title that you were one of my neighbours, complaining about me in the garden today!

Of course it is sexist. Lots of language used to describe vocal and opinionated women seems to be almost exclusively designated for use about women: words like "shrill", "hysterical", "shrieking", "screeching" etc etc.

And it's not just about the generallyhigher pitch of the female voice: there is also an implied judgement there that the woman is WRONG- perhaps "temperamental", "over-emotional"'etc. This doesn't tend to happen with language used about male voices. A man who shouts might be described as "bellowing", for example, but it carries an implication of his way of talking as being powerful, even loud, but not necessarily wrong, and he is certainly not to be dismissed.

Because men are never wrong, you know, or at least our culture's language doesn't seem to suggest that.

Don't men swear like fucking dockers?

Thank you BOFster for stating so eloquently what I was thinking but was not capable of articulating.

You're welcome

That post took me ages

BOF really now, don't spoil the illusion of effortless insight!

Besides, surely you're over analysing woman... Oh actually I can't be bothered trying to use some of the mysognistic language in a droll point proving way. Too tired, can't be arsed so inagine I said something terribly amusing now ....

Oh, hang on...

Oh come on, this is turning into a dick measuring contest (ha!)

It really bugs me when men go on about women screaming or shrieking if the woman is raising her voice. Men's voices get deeper when they're angry but most women's voice go up an octave. If a man telle me when I'm having a row "Stop shrieking." or words to that effect, with the implication that I am being an irrational or hysterical little woman, it makes me want to rip his head off with my teeth.... It certainly doesn't make me calm down!

Fishwives don't howl. Banshees howl. Fishwives screech or scream. And people swear like truckers. I have spoken. :-)

^I was short because I asked dh to help ds pack his rucksack for DofE tomorrow and he was languishing on the computer with a glass of wine and leaving it all to me.
Which I am now doing.
And I asked ds to sort it out this afternoon and he didn't.^

So your son is doing the Duke of Edinburgh's Award... and isn't able enough to pack his own rucksack?

"the DofE gives all young people aged 14-24 the chance to develop skills for life and work, fulfil their potential and have a brighter future"

which would involving packing their own rucksack! Were you one of those mums who carried your DC's schoolbags?

"not even swearing as well as my grandmother" ( true too she could swear the air blue)

Tbh, fishwifing aside, if your ds is old enough to do D of E then he is old enough to pack his own kit.

If he forgets something vital then that is his problem and hopefully he'll learn from it and be more organised next time.

Would you have preferred swearing like a fish husband?

You want to think it's sexist then fine think that just be aware in your righteous feminine way you have married a sexist. Not very feminist of you now was it.

Shrieking/screeching is generally aimed at women because we have higher pitched voices that men. I have heard very few men shriek but I have heard loads of them bellow. It is not sexist but descriptive.

The fish wife phrase is very old and used to describe the wives and daughters of fisherman who by their own merit were loud and feisty. You had to be bolshie when your husband was at sea for great lengths of time otherwise you would have got nowhere in the world back then.

If my DH was such a lazy pig I'd screech like a fishwife.

JoeyMaynardsghost he needed help because he has Aspergers. We didn't do it for him, we helped him because he asked for help, although I had tried to get him to do it on his own earlier in the day (if you read my post properly).

I am sure you are a perfect parent, but I would never judge others on their parenting skills.

righteous feminist way ??

FFS