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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

If your husband joked you were ‘nattering too much'

67 replies

AshTreesEverywhere · 27/01/2023 16:11

Would you think this is an example of sexism?

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Coxspurplepippin · 27/01/2023 22:07

TheClogLady, fascinating. Gn, Kn, N.

I love the 'Natter - worrit.' Yet another rabbit hole.

But my favourite is 'poop hath nattered sponge'.

MrsSkylerWhite · 27/01/2023 22:07

Context please?

For example:

Conversing during dinner, he’s out of order.
Talking through a film, he’s got a point.

Florissant · 27/01/2023 22:08

No.

TangledWebOfDeception · 27/01/2023 22:12

No of course not.

Haven’t RTFT. Don’t need to.

I know the context.

TheClogLady · 27/01/2023 22:22

AshTreesEverywhere · 27/01/2023 21:57

Not the point of the thread. But if true the visit failed. William and Kate's team shared on social media photos of William and Kate with no link to the donations page at the foodbank and no information about how to support the foodbank or even saying that public support was crucial. Nothing except look at William and Kate.

Show quote history

So, what DO you think about the ‘point of thread’ then? You haven’t given any explanation as to why you think this is a sexist phrase, nor presented any evidence?

You seem more interested in criticising K&W than you are in discussing linguistics/etymology or related feminist analysis?

There is a MN Royal Family section where you can complain about the Kensington Palace Comms team and their lack of adequate collection-tin-rattling as much as you like… I recommend the thread on tiaras, it’s fabulous!

TheClogLady · 27/01/2023 22:29

WeWereInParis · 27/01/2023 19:48

I think it's more just an old fashioned word, I don't see it as particularly female or sexiest.

I wondered if he'd ever used it before (I know, a very sad life I lead), so googled "Prince William natter" and an article came up about him talking to two football players about sport and mental health. He was talking about the importance of friendship and was talking about himself and said sometimes it was important to sit and "have a natter" with friends. So he clearly doesn't see it as a specifically female thing.

That chimes with the NZ farmers I posted earlier, here’s the actual link

farmstrong.co.nz/you-matter-lets-natter/

‘You Matter, let’s Natter’

extract:

“A big part of keeping well on farm is connecting with your mates and checking in on people. The thing is to get in touch while things are going well, don’t wait until things get on top of people. That just leaves them a bigger hole to climb out of. What did I learn about listening at Fieldays? Don’t be that person who finishes other people’s sentences.”

JaneJeffer · 27/01/2023 22:36

It was a fecking joke. Why are you so obsessed about it @AshTreesEverywhere?

DdraigGoch · 27/01/2023 22:40

Mafelicent · 27/01/2023 17:01

Would he same the same to a male friend/colleague/brother etc? I find "natter" is usually only used towards women, and usually in the context that what they have to say is trivial nonsense. I know that some people use it to just mean "chat", though.

In the context of his brother I think that there are a few unprintable words he might use.

IcakethereforeIam · 27/01/2023 22:40

@Coxspurplepippin sounds like me and my fella <looks round> but don't tell anyone!

DdraigGoch · 27/01/2023 22:43

ReadtheReviews · 27/01/2023 17:24

Nattering is sexist as I dont think it's ever really applied to men, is it? Gossiping, nagging, same ball park.

The worst gossips I know are men. I used to berate my dad for "nagging" me to tidy my room/do my homework.

JaneJeffer · 27/01/2023 22:44

The worst gossips I know are men.
Same

LydiaBin · 27/01/2023 22:48

Oh, right. Is the OP antelopevalley in a different guise? Tomorrow, on Food/Recipes: Kate Middleton's Vile Kitten and Fois Gras Diet. Sunday, on The Doghouse: It's Disgusting that the Princess of Wales leads her dog around on a lead. Etc.

silverclock222 · 27/01/2023 22:57

Absolutely not! I probably would be. Similarly I wouldn't see anything wrong with me saying he was yabbering away.too many people too easily looking for something to be offended about.

iminvestednow · 27/01/2023 22:58

I tell my husband to stop nattering with friends online and we need to get somewhere. Not sexist, a bit odd you think it is. Certain words like ‘hysterical’ were traditionally only applied to women (hence the Latin meaning ‘of the womb’). I would describe my son’s tantrum as being ‘hysterical’ as I think it’s widely accepted as a different meaning now. I genuinely think 90% of people aren’t going out of their way to offend you. People have different relationships to different words and that’s ok. (As long as it’s not clearly offensive or racist)

TheClogLady · 27/01/2023 23:15

Coxspurplepippin · 27/01/2023 22:07

TheClogLady, fascinating. Gn, Kn, N.

I love the 'Natter - worrit.' Yet another rabbit hole.

But my favourite is 'poop hath nattered sponge'.

‘poop hath nattered’ is my new favourite phrase.

My poop hath nattered multiple wooden coathangers (and a very expensive clog goddamnit!)

Catnary · 27/01/2023 23:36

TheClogLady · 27/01/2023 21:59

Looping back to the English 1800s version, which was the top hit on my first Google for ‘Natter etymology’, I’ve found two ye old sources…

One is from Cheshire (1877), where Gnatter/Natter mean ‘to gnaw into pieces’ and Nattered means ‘exceedingly ill tempered’ (but ‘knattle’ is the much milder ‘cross’ just a few miles down the road 😂)

However, when using the ‘knatter’ spelling, it is described as synonymous to ‘knagg’ and has the example of two stepdaughters soaking their scolding, knagging stepmother in a swill tub(!) because: no ducking stool.

And the other is from Lincolnshire (1866) where ‘knattering’ meant ‘finding fault in a provoking manner’ (how we now use ‘nit picking’, perhaps?) with the example ‘he is knattering’. ‘Natter’ also uses ‘he’ but the synonym ‘worrit’ means ‘worrier’.

So, perhaps the TLDR answer to OP’s question, ‘Is this husband being sexist towards his wife?’ is…

‘Only if he’s from 1877 Cheshire and spells nattering with a silent ‘K’!

Brava! Bloody love Mumsnet for this calibre of response.

JupiterFortified · 27/01/2023 23:40

Good god, I literally can’t imagine having the energy to write a post about the word nattering. Although I suppose I’ve now commented so maybe I’m just as bad.

What a funny old world we live in.

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