Women who refer to cars/boats as 'she' Grrr.

[DrNortherner]

Just spent 10 days in Spain with dh's Dad and step mum. His step Mum is lovely, however she does a few things that irk me, including referring to her parents as 'Mummy and Daddy' She's 62 FFS.

Anyway, the whole time we were there she referred to her car as 'she' - she needs petrol, have you locked her? etc
and also to boats in the harbour - Oh she's a beauty.

Nobody does this anymore do they?

What can I say to her next time she does this?

It's traditional to name boats (and thus cars, I imagine) after a woman or girl in your life, your daughter or girlfriend for instance. What's strange is that in some times/places it has been considered unlucky to have an ACTUAL woman on your boat. Certainly don't have any problem with boats being called "she" though, they have characters and if they are called "Eleanor Jane" or whatever then it's only natural.

Yes it is traditional to classify a boat as female. However, the french use Le bateau, which then gets confusing when trying to speak to the French about a boat - say something like 'isn't she a beauty' and they'll think you're referring to any women on board and get upset!

I thought cars, boats, countries were referred to as 'she' because they are things which can be occupied. So I don't like it.

Do you still think that Molasses? There are a few posts here which discuss the genuine etymology so maybe you can like the world a little better!

My car is a she because she has a female name, so it would therefore be odd to refer to her as "he".

I acknowledge that in many people's eyes, naming a car makes me a bit of an arse. And that they might have a point.

I call my cars she. I didn't think it was a feminist issue.

I had a bike called Titus once. Full name Titus Androgynous.

Needless to say it was an 'it'

Gosh OP you really must have very little to trouble you. The majority of inanimate objects are considered male, not female, but this doesn't bother you. Seems to me some "feminists" want to find things to be unhappy about

I have to say I did wonder like Molasses if it was a bit iffy, calling machinery "she".

I feel happier knowing it isn't.

That Brett Anderson was pretty androgynous though Manatee - would you refer to him as "it"?

Or care for them. If you mistreat your ship you may end up very dead.
In our family boats and cars always have names and they have been of both sexes. Mostly male, but post DDs my cars have both been female.

It was my thread about teddies etc being 'he'. I think the difference is that boats are not anthropomorphised to the same extent as teddies. They are much more of an object, therefore to call them 'she' could be sexist. In fact it's quite telling that once an object becomes more obviously anthropomorphised, by looking like a moving, talking creature, it becomes a 'he'.

I think they are referrred to as she, because they are cared for and are valuable. Male sailors depended on the ships that they were on the high seas with. They valued and cherished the ship and therefore gave it a female presence. It is the same with cars and even car engines. Anything that is liked and valued is given a female name, since it has worth and value. For instance you often hear people describing their cars as "a real beauty". It is basically anthropomorphising inaminate objects and showing how valuable and cherished and cared for they are.

But you also hear cars referred to as a "real beast" i.e. something wild and fast and dangerous, which animalises the car and emphasises its speed and power.

Looked into it further, it's even deeper than that. It goes right back to Greek goddesses protecting sailors at sea, and it is linked with death and the danger of death of the sailors, and fast car drivers and WWII fighter pilots etc.

I never, ever tire of the Feminism section.

Our cars always have male names and are male..current car Gunther the Golf

It's funny, my dh suggested that the cars should be given names and I was very dismissive, but I expect boats to have names, and for them, in general to be female. Thanks for the interesting link OLKN I like learning about English as a language because it's such a mix, showing our interesting history.