I was thumbing through a 'classic cars' magazine in Morrisons the other day, and noticed that a significant number of classified adverts referred to cars as 'she'. "She's in truly original condition"...... "Please give her another loving home" etc.............
What - if anything - does this say about (presumably male) owners who refer to their cars as though they (the cars) were women?
Do female owners refer to 'him' when talking about their form of transport? Do male owners?!
|
|
They are referred to as she because they wear bonnets - aren't they ?
|
|
|
I was thumbing through a 'classic cars' magazine in Morrisons the other day and noticed that a significant number of classified adverts referred to cars as 'she'.
This has always struck me as being very odd - however, many people (even women!) refer to their guns, boats, etc. as "she". I've no idea why.
|
|
That's easy - 'cos they are your pride and joy, give you many many hours of pleasure, need loving care and attention and cost an arm and a leg!! ;~) lol
|
Ships are traditionally 'she'.
I think people extrapolate to cars.... as it suggests they have loved them.
1986 Fiesta 280,000, recent MOT fail will somebody please give my old girl a good home. She only needs major welding, new tyres, shocks and maybe a few electrical items. FSH, much loved. Company car forces sale otherwise I'd fix her myself.
|
|
SWMBO refers to 'my car' until something needs doing, like washing it, putting petrol in it, parking it in the garage each night....................
|
I can't see a Ford Mustang being content to be referred to as 'she', unless perhaps we are thinking of including it in a new film, Brokeback Highway. :)
--
pmh (was peter)
|
"Brokeback Highway"
LOL! There must be Mustang fillies, though, surely?
|
I thought "Mustangs" were Sally, now.
Billy
|
|
|
|
|
Whilst it is common in English to refer to ships as "she", in Russian they are referred to as "he", why this is I have no idea.
|
|
|
|
|
>'classic cars'
I think that's the clue. It used to be common in the services, where female company was pretty conspicuous by its absence. My Dad did it all the time, but I don't think it's so common now. It certainly winds up the feminists, who (as usual) miss the point about it being a term of endearment.
I'm in trouble now...
|
I always presumed it to be acquired "frenchism" - voiture, noun for car in French is traditionally of feminine gender...
--------------------
[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
|
|
I think this applies more to older people. I don't hear many drivers under 50 referring to their cars as 'she'.
|
Referring to any inanimate object as 'she' is a particular Bête Noire of mine and perhaps is a girlie thing?
I loathe that aspersion to the feminine gender and I'm well over 50. My cousin used to have a car with the registration ending in ONO and always referred to the car as that i.e. OH No! - found that extremely tiresome.
|
Referring to any inanimate object as 'she' is a particular Bête Noire of mine and perhaps is a girlie thing?
Not girlie at all. Ask anyone who served on a warship, or bomber (they're generally not 'girlie' I'd say) and they always refer to the ship or aircraft as 'she'. James Bond referred to his Bentley as 'she' as well.
|
|
|
|
|
French is an odd language though. The french word for the female reproductive organ is masculine...
|
|
|
|
|
What you have to remember LHM, is that owning a motor car is a lot like making lvoe to a beautiful woman....
And I'm not going to go any further than that, because I'll get banned. :D
Suffice to say, my car is a lady, and her name is Sofia!
|
Suffice to say my car is a lady and her name is Sofia!
So you're an arm-chair driver, then?
|
Watch the Disney Pixar movie "Cars" and you'll realize which cars are "he" and which are "she".
A must watch for any car lovers!
:)
|
|
|
|
My old Landy is a 'she' - as was my previous one many years ago. The first one was called Charlene, haven't thought of a name for the current one yet. Life is dull and mundane, why not a bit of colour now and again?
|
Xileno
...Just don't call her "Christine..."
[Cars must be female - nothing that gives that much unending grief could be anything else!]
Best sticker of the week:-
"The more I learn about women - the more I love my Land-Rover.
|
|
I was thinking of Lullabelle.
|
|
|
|
|
Groan!
|
|
That didn't work very well in flat view. Groan was a response to the armchair witticism.
|
The only car in my house that got a name was the goona. It was called lola. The tourvan was called it
------------------------------
< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
|
Well clearly the gender of the car is dependent upon its name, and that is dependent on the numberplate. Current car is OEJ, hence "Backwards Joseph", or just Joe for short. Previous was JNC, hence Janice. Etc.
|
|
..as in EOJ, obviously. Sigh. Oh for an udit betten.
|
I always thought it was obvious - they are extremely expensive to maintain, take hours to polish up to presentable state, depreciate rapidly, produce a hell of a lot of hot air, etc etc.
Unfortunately my wife has just looked over my shoulder (so must stop there)and mentioned that I would be lost without it - not sure whether she was referring to the car or herself.
As for regular servicing - let's not go there
--
Phil
|
|
|
|
Well clearly the gender of the car is dependent upon its name
Not necessarily. Ships are always "she" even if they have a masculine name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ours seem mostly to be genderless. The GS was dubbed 'Thunderbird 6' by my children, our white 305 estate was 'the snowmobile' because I bought it from a Mr Snow, and the Xedos is either XEL from the numberplate (also enemy of Dan Dare) or the 'flying raspberry' because the paint catches the light that way.
Bikes are different, though, but my partner doesn't seem to mind my riding Suzi to and from work, as long as she stays outside...
|
|
I quite fancy 'Maybelline' though - just need the right sort of car!
|
|
I can get attached to cars and bikes though they are always "it", cant imagine saying "she is running really well" or "I must clean her", in fact if I hear that it makes me cringe.
|
........I in fact if I hear that it makes me cringe.
It makes me cringe as well. A most annoying trait in some people.
(Thinks) I must go and see whether the 'she' (the washing machine) has finished the washing cycle!!!
|
|
|
|
