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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I was called a Spinster at work today, I was really offended.

379 replies

Seahorses12 · 25/01/2026 21:27

I do one day a week volunteer work, and today a woman I work with who I don't know very well asked me if I was married or had children. I replied that I wasn't and didn't have kids and she said disparagingly 'Oh, so your a Spinster. I have an aunt who's a Spinster.' It's such a horrible, judgemental term with negative connotations. No one has ever used it to my face before. I have a reasonably successful career behind me and I like my independance. I've had long term relationships with men but I'm currently single and have a lot of single friends. I feel belittled by this comment. AIBU?

OP posts:
SabreIsMyFave · 26/01/2026 10:34

Seahorses12 · 26/01/2026 09:29

  • Abolished in 2005: The terms "spinster" (for women) and "bachelor" (for men) were officially removed from marriage certificates in England and Wales on December 5, 2005.
It was replaced by 'single'

Yes, the word 'spinster' is horribly outdated now, and YANBU to be annoyed and offended by it.

Apologies for AI copy and paste, but this sums it up.

With marriage and family as the 'ideal' according to society, and 'spinsters' outside of this, the term spinster took on a derogatory and misogynistic meaning. The term spinster was still used to describe an unmarried woman on UK marriage certificates until 2005, when it was replaced with 'single' for both women and men.

So yes, it isn't acceptable to call women 'spinster' anymore. The word has been discarded - 20 years ago! - for a reason.

As I said, when I got married in the early 1990s (almost 35 years ago,) I was recorded as a spinster. I actually laughed, as it seemed so outdated. And this was 35 years ago. It's wild that anyone uses it in 2026! 😬

Like many other posters, I think it's so weird that a woman of only 40 used this word. If she had been 85 or 90 something, it would have been more understandable. My relatives who are 80+ use words like 'baby born out of wedlock' (for a baby born to an unmarried mother,) and 'gladrags' for clothes, and 'wireless' for radio, and then there's 'are you courting?' that they like to ask of young women. Then 'going to the pictures' (instead of cinema...) And yes, they sometimes use the word 'spinster.' These are women born early 1940s or earlier.

A woman born in 1985 (and being a teenager in the early 2000s) using the word spinster is really odd IMO.

I am guessing though @Seahorses12 that this woman didn't mean to be nasty, it's more likely she was just thoughtless and clumsy. If she does use the word again though, do tell her it's not a word you want using to describe you and it's got such negative connotations, and was discarded over 2 decades ago. You have every right to feel insulted and offended by it. Just because a few others would NOT be offended, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to be.

.

OvernightBloats · 26/01/2026 10:38

Avoid her from now on - she is rude and blunt. She should have learnt to be a lot more polite having been in this country for so long.

Why is she commenting on you being single/married anyway? It's none of her business to judge you and label you like this.

This comes down to her being insensitive, judgemental and rude. She knew what she was doing.

u3ername · 26/01/2026 10:47

JHound · 26/01/2026 10:07

So why didn’t she say “oh you’re single? One of my aunt’s is single” given that “single” is far more common in English.

And why mention her aunt at all?

Simply because it’s very possible she didn’t know better? A bit like using ‘fewer’ instead of ‘less’? Single is a word that can be used in very different contexts referring to different things while bachelor/spinster would be the literal translation of the word in her mind.
I’m assuming she likes her aunt, so may be she was trying to sound relatable rather than offensive.
It’s also possible she used a ‘controversial’ word to make a misjudged attempt at British humour…

There are many little cultural and linguistic factors at play, and assuming an intention to insult and a mean personality straight away is only going to upset the OP and affect the work relationship.

RisingSunn · 26/01/2026 10:50

LowdermilkPark · 25/01/2026 22:21

No-one would call someone a spinster with out doing it to offend them. What a bitch.

That’s not true - A couple of years ago - someone referred to themselves as one. Though it seems an old fashioned word to me.

Unhappyitis · 26/01/2026 10:53

They would never say this to a man.

NorthernGirl1975 · 26/01/2026 10:59

@SabreIsMyFave I say pictures interchangeable with cinema and I'm not even 30!

Fairygardenx · 26/01/2026 11:04

I call myself a spinster.

Missingducks · 26/01/2026 11:10

I think I would set up a playlist for the workplace

sisters are doing it for themselves
Independent women
single ladies
I will survive
Man I feel like a woman
I am woman
I can buy myself flowers
Respect
This girl is on fire

SabreIsMyFave · 26/01/2026 11:12

NorthernGirl1975 · 26/01/2026 10:59

@SabreIsMyFave I say pictures interchangeable with cinema and I'm not even 30!

Oh that's strange. 😄 Whenever my aunt (80) uses that word, my aged 30-ish DC laugh, and say it sounds so quaint and endearing. She said 'baby born out of wedlock' too once, (several years back) and my DC were like Confused 'what is this? Victorian times?!! 😆

BillieWiper · 26/01/2026 11:36

bridgetreilly · 26/01/2026 02:03

It’s really not. Barren is a judgment on your fertility, which is an incredibly sensitive and difficult subject, whatever language you use. Spinster is a comment on marital status, which is a matter of public fact.

Why should whether someone has a partner or not be 'public fact', just because they're female?

Whether or not someone is having a sexual relationship isn't, and shouldn't be 'public'. It's information someone can choose to disclose but if they're going to get called vile slurs just for being single I can see why they'd not bother mention it.

BillieWiper · 26/01/2026 11:53

FrodoBiggins · 26/01/2026 02:23

Well it reminds me of Spinderella from Salt n Pepa so I guess we're all different eh

Does it really, genuinely remind you of a confident, sexy, fashionable, internationally successful music artist? Honestly?

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 26/01/2026 11:57

Is it offensive? Isn't it just the female equivalent of "bachelor"?

I think my wedding certificate says "spinster" on it, and "bachelor" for my husband. It's just the term for a woman who has never been married.

At least she didn't call you and "old maid"

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 26/01/2026 12:00

Unhappyitis · 26/01/2026 10:53

They would never say this to a man.

No, because it's a feminine word 🤣 they'd use them term "bachelor" for a man.

That's like saying "they'd never call a man a widow" well no, cos they'd call him a widower!

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 26/01/2026 12:04

JHound · 26/01/2026 10:07

So why didn’t she say “oh you’re single? One of my aunt’s is single” given that “single” is far more common in English.

And why mention her aunt at all?

Because "spinster" is a particular type of single.

Someone who is a widow, or a divorcée, or separated could also be "single".

FrodoBiggins · 26/01/2026 12:07

BillieWiper · 26/01/2026 11:53

Does it really, genuinely remind you of a confident, sexy, fashionable, internationally successful music artist? Honestly?

Yes

Redpeach · 26/01/2026 12:14

I would have said and what do you call an older unmarried man?

Redpeach · 26/01/2026 12:17

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 26/01/2026 12:00

No, because it's a feminine word 🤣 they'd use them term "bachelor" for a man.

That's like saying "they'd never call a man a widow" well no, cos they'd call him a widower!

Bachelor is not the equivalent! there are so many more pejorative terms for women than there are for men

MikeRafone · 26/01/2026 12:19

Redpeach · 26/01/2026 12:17

Bachelor is not the equivalent! there are so many more pejorative terms for women than there are for men

a slapper is not used for a male - but means a woman who has had lots of sexual partners - whereas a stud is a male that has had lots of sexual partners.

BIossomtoes · 26/01/2026 12:21

MikeRafone · 26/01/2026 12:19

a slapper is not used for a male - but means a woman who has had lots of sexual partners - whereas a stud is a male that has had lots of sexual partners.

I’ve heard men referred to as slappers and tarts.

SweetnsourNZ · 26/01/2026 12:22

ItstoolateformeDaveyourselves · 26/01/2026 03:37

I am sorry for you loss, I hope are well.? Well spiders do have some skills (see spider man / verse / what it says on the tin).

If you could choose a new word to make up for both what would it be? I'm interested if we can?

Bachelor is absolutely not common at all in this context or even in modern day conversational UK language for an unmarried man.

However, even so, a bachelor has an indication of something to be sought after, redeem yourself to and yes I do worry about "bachelorette".

I mean this genuinely.

Ikr. No one thinks less of a man for being single but women used to be considered on the shelf by about 25. There always seems to be more negative labels for us than men. Probably stems from the time when we were valued for reproducing.
I think the bachelorette label is fading. It was probably more American than English anyway.

NotnowMildrid · 26/01/2026 12:26

Katiesaidthat · 26/01/2026 09:54

Oh my, from behind the iron curtain. They are massively blunt, zero filter and feel the need to comment on everyone, negatively, to their face. So yes, there is a cultural element.
1850s calling...? would´ve been my answer...

Agree.

I’ve known women to hide behind the so called language barrier to get away with shit like this.

I’ve witnessed it so many times.

MikeRafone · 26/01/2026 12:34

BIossomtoes · 26/01/2026 12:21

I’ve heard men referred to as slappers and tarts.

it would be the same as referring to an unmarried woman as a Batchelor instead of using spinster, its slang used to describe a prostitute and a slapper for a woman who has many sexual partners

gigolo is the male equivalent of a tart

BillieWiper · 26/01/2026 12:34

FrodoBiggins · 26/01/2026 12:07

Yes

Fair enough! 😂

Needspaceforlego · 26/01/2026 12:35

NorthernGirl1975 · 26/01/2026 10:59

@SabreIsMyFave I say pictures interchangeable with cinema and I'm not even 30!

Me too....I think that might be one of those regional things.
What'd you see at the pictures?

nicepotoftea · 26/01/2026 12:39

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 26/01/2026 12:04

Because "spinster" is a particular type of single.

Someone who is a widow, or a divorcée, or separated could also be "single".

'oh you are divorced. My aunt is divorced'

Is also odd.