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Frequent Contributor
Posts: 78
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Why do the hosts keep referring to inanimate objects as "she"? It's super creepy and makes them sound uneducated.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,809
Registered: ‎12-24-2010

Nothing new - - 'things' have always been called a 'she '.

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,532
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

I've always hated that...and I always will. 😏

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,097
Registered: ‎09-05-2014

Ships have been referred to as "she" for centuries:

 

Another tradition is to consider ships as female, referring to them as 'she'. Although it may sound strange referring to an inanimate object as 'she', this tradition relates to the idea of a female figure such as a mother or goddess guiding and protecting a ship and crew.

 

People give their cars and boats names and call them "she."

 

There's nothing "uneducated" about it at all.  Well informed students of nautical history perhaps.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,486
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

The hosts have picked up on the term from some of the "designers", who have used the term for years.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,749
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

All German nouns have a gender - masculine, feminine, or neuter - identified by their accompanying definite article.  So, when learning German, you have to learn the gender of each noun.

 

So, it's unusual but not unheard of to assign gender to inanimate objects.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,532
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

@Johnnyeager wrote:

Ships have been referred to as "she" for centuries:

 

Another tradition is to consider ships as female, referring to them as 'she'. Although it may sound strange referring to an inanimate object as 'she', this tradition relates to the idea of a female figure such as a mother or goddess guiding and protecting a ship and crew.

 

People give their cars and boats names and call them "she."

 

There's nothing "uneducated" about it at all.  Well informed students of nautical history perhaps.

 

 

When QVC starts selling ships, cars, and boats and refers to them as a she I might cut them some slack. But IMHO calling a shirt a she is dumb. 🙄 


 

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 110
Registered: ‎05-14-2010

I totally agree pupwhipped.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,408
Registered: ‎01-27-2014

I agree that it is sort of stupid, but who really cares? I am sure the hosts are saying that because their producers have told them to say it. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,536
Registered: ‎12-13-2010

@ValuSkr wrote:

All German nouns have a gender - masculine, feminine, or neuter - identified by their accompanying definite article.  So, when learning German, you have to learn the gender of each noun.

 

So, it's unusual but not unheard of to assign gender to inanimate objects.  


French, Italian and Spanish have the same.