Male and Female tool names

[Lelophants]

I am fully expecting to be told I am ridiculous for this. Maybe I find it so odd because I haven't grown up with this knowledge.

I've done the odd bit of DIY but tbh nothing major. Dh is pretty good (FIL ex builder) so does most of those tasks. Only recently did I find out that tools which have a long bit that go into something else are known as 'male' and the bits with holes are called 'female'. How did I not know this for so long?! And for some reason I really dont like it 😂

I tried to explain to dh why I found it so weird. I think it just seems unnecessarily sexual and the fact that something with a hole is known as female. Dh said he never really thought of it and had called them that from a little boy. Am I the only one who finds it weird and maybe even a bit sexist? Like how would you explain that to a little boy?

I've also since found out the bottom bricks are called female because the male goes on top.

There are so many different tools and bits and pieces and for all things with holes to be like "can you pass me the female one" for some reason it just makes me shudder!

AIBU? or just a pride?

*prude

Like what's wrong with calling them the ones with long bits and the ones with holes 😂

Yes and you can mate male and female parts

Same for plugs, connectors, pretty much anything that inserts into a receptive part

See why is it all about sex? Maybe I am just a prude then !

Any part, where one piece is inserted or located inside the other are called male/female.

It's common in electrical parts, agriculture, engineering, plumbing, IT.

It's how we identify which bit we want.

Yeah but why male/female?

I knew this - have known it since I was about 6 - but it is a bit grim really. My family all sew (not me) and were discussing press studs.

Presumably male/ female because it makes sense and is easy to understand.

What else would you call it that's as universally understood and applicable to any type of tool in any industry ?

It's always been like this I think. I remember it from many years back doing DT at school. It's the same for electrics.
Although it's obvious why, I've never really thought too much about it tbh.

@Obviouspretzel

What else would you call it that's as universally understood and applicable to any type of tool in any industry ?

Long and short, in and out, pointies and innies. There are so many universal things that could be said instead. You dont have to think about someone's genitals.

It makes me think of patriarchy and male dominance. Especially the male bricks being on top of the female ones. I also can imagine how uncomfortable a girl might feel hearing all of that.

I know it's not a big issue but sometimes these every day things I find a bit weird.

YABU. Nuts.

Got to connect two cables, two pipes, some other form of connection? One has a male end, one has a female end. Ergo they connect. You can get adapters to allow male-to-male, female-to-female etc. So all LGBT types are represented!

My dad never used those terms when we were children. It was 'please pass the bit that looks like...' so sex references involved. Maybe that's why I find it weird.

I honestly envy you that through all the shitshow that is happening in the world you have the time and energy to think and be upset about this.

No, I do not think any girl will ever feel uncomfortable hearing about the bricks. :)

I love the comment on the LGBT representation :) thank you for that!

I just watched a video about how to put on a carrier and they referenced the male and female sections of the buckle ...!

Do you get upset about couplings?

Oh come on @thesun it's lighthearted 🙄

And I'm not the only one according to the poll. It might sound silly but it's one of those little things that I reckon will be looked at poorly.

Also....

Female vs uterus carrying part 🙈🙈 ohhh yeah I went there
Complete other issue but dont you reckon TRA are onto that?

I’ve grown up with those terms. Nothing to be offended by in my opinion.

You're not a prude OP. You've just got a dirty mind 😏

It's just a convention.

It's shorthand - much quicker thank "the one with a hole" it'd be like Friends episode.

See also lego and jigsaws.

Female vs uterus carrying part 🙈🙈 ohhh yeah I went there
Complete other issue but dont you reckon TRA are onto

What does this mean?

@Lelophants

My dad never used those terms when we were children. It was 'please pass the bit that looks like...' so sex references involved. Maybe that's why I find it weird.

It's not really a sex reference. No one is fucking the socket with the plug.