Isn't "she" gorgeous? Look at "her".......argh!

[HibiscusIsland1]

This trend (on Insta etc) for referring to inanimate objects as "she"........it is infuriating - handbags, holiday homes, bronzer......make it stop! I'm a 50 year old women and largely follow women of a similar age. It's infantile and ridiculous. AiBU?

It’s from the same mould as ‘a red lip’, ‘a black trouser’. Nonsense!

Along with "I'm obsessed!"- really? You're obessessed with a spoon?

“Here she is!”

DD does it, she’s 19. So annoying - it spoils wandering round the shops with her as I’ve tried to gently say I don’t get it but she always does it. It’s really got under my skin. I first heard Carla Rockmore do it on instagram and now I can’t watch her.

It's not an Instagram trend. The word "She" has been used to refer to ships for hundreds of years. Cars, planes, trains, busses, all "She".

Thanks for the history lesson. I'm well aware of the tradition of ships being referred to as "she". What I'm talking about here most definitely is a recent trend. Influencers, mostly, referring to whatever product they are shilling as "she". Very annoying.

Yeah, that's the same 🙄

@ThePeppyOpalScroller referring to vehicles as "she" is a longstanding tradition. From looking at the Imperial War Museum website, it's hypothesised that it was used by sailors in reference to protective goddesses, and has since been adopted for all vehicles.

OP is referring to a modern trend of calling handbags, dresses etc "she".

‘She’s giving…’ is an instant unfollow for me or any combination of the two. Just speak bloody English you knobs 🙄

It's similar to the trend for inanimate consumer goods to be referred to in the first person. "I'm gluten free", "Recycle me", "I'm part of the meal deal".

Maybe an overreaction, but I find it a wee bit creepy.

Not me thinking that this is about trans 'women'.

Oh come on

Mmm.

So if it's not a ship or similar, pack it the fuck in.

Yeah, the Titanic is the same as a handbag. Silly us.

I can’t stand it when men call cars and bikes “she” 🤢

Everything started off as a "recent trend". There's really no difference at all. Some people feel threatened when they get a bit older and language moves on without them. It's happened forever and it's not a big deal.

I do not feel threatened - it's not that deep. What a laugh. I just feel irritated - very, very irritated

It doesn't "move on without them". Older people are still part of the language community and are as capable of evolving language as anyone else.

I don't think the OP is objecting to linguistic evolution as such. She is objecting to a specific rather nauseating example of influencer-speak - a technique for advertising products. Acknowledging linguistic change doesn't mean we have to like every expression everyone uses..

Totally with you. I think I posted this on a thread about annoying phrases the other day. It's often followed by "giving". Like talking about handbag, saying "she's giving retro vibes".

And then there's "girlies". "hey gym girlies...". Bleugh. I'm not a girlie. I'm a peri-menopausal mother. Thanks and kindly fuck off.

My lovely old nana referred to every object as "he" (pronounced "ee" in her accent). I suppose if she had been talking about ships etc she might have deferred to the manly convention of calling everything they could steer "she". But she wasn't the seafaring type and I can only remember her talking about kettles, chairs, and such like.

50% of my undergraduate degree was in linguistics so, again, I am well aware of how language evolves.

This AIBU is purely a lighthearted vent after being, yet again, irritated by a fifty something woman on Instagram with her new handbag: "She's arrived.....she's a bit spenny (!)" etc etc

It's pathetic (as in, rather sad) - it makes it sound as though the speaker thinks the handbag/shoes/sofa are their friend.

You aren't 5?

Reminds me of "irritating influencer bingo" that I once heard. Talking about a handbag - "she's dropped in the Spring edit". That's 3 irritants in one!

I hate it when women and gay men refer to themselves as ‘she’ on Insta. ‘Oh she’s fancy today’ or ‘wow she’s brushed the hair’ or whatever with a selfie. Drives me absolutely mad.

Agh yes. It irritates me almost as much as nhs literature referring to babies as "she". I'd rather have "they" or even "it" than "she" or "he" for a baby who might be of the opposite sex.