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Registered On: January 31, 2021Topics: 41Replies: 470Has thanked: 357 timesBeen thanked: 2096 timesSex! That’s peaked some interest.
So for those who have been following I used to host a large spider in winter we called Fred. Stephanie had one called Harold who lived in her garden shed. I can sort of understand why a creature we think of as hairy and scary might be seen as male but I wondered how people generally sex animals for whome they really have no idea of the true sex if indeed they are sexed at all. For example for some reason I think hippopotami are generally thought of as female (except in specific cases where they aren’t)
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Registered On: August 7, 2019Topics: 13Replies: 1029Has thanked: 13062 timesBeen thanked: 4059 timesI used to think that all ladybugs were females when I was little, and the same went for June bugs. Never could tell the difference in them. To add to the confusion, they all have hairy chests (thoraxes) too, male and female. But that hair is very soft and straight, if you ever investigated a June bug.
Spiders on the other hand are just awful. I was bitten by a brown recluse when I was 10. Mom took me to the doctor every morning for almost 2 weeks for him to excise the bad tissue from the wound. Since then, spiders, no matter the kind, are either dead or about to be.
PaulaF
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This conversation reminds me of Francis the lady bug in the movie Bugs Life who is male but is always mistaken as a girl because he is lady bug.
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I have a male duck named April and a female cat named Earl. When they were babies I named them according to the sex I thought they were. I was wrong but the names stayed.
Patti 🥰
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Registered On: May 26, 2019Topics: 19Replies: 2000Has thanked: 3881 timesBeen thanked: 7057 timesNow that you mention it: As a rabbit rescuer, that has always been an issue. Even the veterinarians sometimes have difficulty finding the difference (but the rabbits NEVER do), and if we don’t keep them apart until they are “fixed”, they will multiply like…. um rabbits.
And I’ve noted that rabbits, like cats, are usually thought of as being girls.
Registered On: February 11, 2019Topics: 16Replies: 1283Has thanked: 3685 timesBeen thanked: 3542 timesThat’s cool, Bettylou.
We have had a few rabbits and our current, a male named Chopin (after the 19th century musician) was rescued from a bunch that were earmarked as snake food! Now Pythons etc., need to eat too, but I am very happy that this little guy, a mini rex is part of our household, and not a snake!
Amy
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- Registered On: May 26, 2019Topics: 19Replies: 2000Has thanked: 3881 timesBeen thanked: 7057 times
Thank you for that rescue, Amy. I have rescued and fostered several mini-Rexes in the past, and they are beautiful animals. Never had one as part of the family, though. I have favored the Californians, perhaps because they are the most neglected breed I have come across.
Hugs,
Bettylou
Registered On: February 7, 2021Topics: 21Replies: 540Has thanked: 1125 timesBeen thanked: 1731 timesAll I know is that’s is nearly impossible ( for me) to correctly sex baby chics.. I only want hens but I always end up with a slew of roosters!! 🐔
💖
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- Registered On: January 31, 2021Topics: 41Replies: 470Has thanked: 357 timesBeen thanked: 2096 times
It’s just as well you aren’t naming them then.
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Registered On: March 26, 2020Topics: 13Replies: 1090Has thanked: 3584 timesBeen thanked: 5273 timesThe only reason I can think of for associating hippopotami with females is the classic TV show “The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin”, starring the late, great Leonard Rossiter.
🤣🤣🤣
Laura
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Registered On: February 22, 2021Topics: 7Replies: 573Has thanked: 4198 timesBeen thanked: 1762 timesAn all time classic with memorable characters – CJ – “I didn’t get where I am today…” and Jimmy – ” cock up on the catering front” & “how’s the army Jimmy?” “mustn’t grumble ” so funny. And who could forget Sunshine Desserts.
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- Registered On: January 31, 2021Topics: 41Replies: 470Has thanked: 357 timesBeen thanked: 2096 times
You made me wrack my brain and there’s a children’s book Hariette the hippo. That said Flanders and Swann had a hippopotamus and kept him in a shed.
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Spider-man, spider-man, friendly neighborhood
Charlotte ‘s web!
🙂
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Registered On: June 11, 2020Topics: 47Replies: 1100Has thanked: 5187 timesBeen thanked: 5671 timesI’ve always been afraid of getting it wrong when meeting someone with their dog – or cat, etc. – so I will usually use terms like puppy or kitty and so on. Or I may scratch the animals head and say hiya boy! then look at the owner with an inquisitive boy?…. girl? Question. Spiders? I have had an issue with spiders since I was very small – they are “it” at best. Now inanimate objects are usually she. Like shes a lovely ship, or shes a fast car, etc. Generally the “shes” win out overall with that stuff.
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Registered On: January 25, 2021Topics: 7Replies: 129Has thanked: 145 timesBeen thanked: 609 timesAll the vehicles I’ve had have been female and have a female name. It kind of makes sense given the amount of attention and love they receive. BUT, when they misbehave, it quickly nosedives into the normal derogatory profanities. 🙊😂
Didi💋
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Registered On: November 17, 2018Topics: 146Replies: 1951Has thanked: 3114 timesBeen thanked: 8974 timesMy dog’s nickname is “2poos.” At least that’s how she is referred to on CDH. Amanda I think it was that started that off. It’s a non boy/girl specific name. Is it anthropomorphic? I don’t think it is. Ships are an oddity – even if they have a male name e.g HMS Agamemnon, they are still referred to as she.
Which remind me of a line from a sea shanty ;- “She was bluff in the bow and round in the counter” – obviously a well endowed vessel!
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- Registered On: November 17, 2018Topics: 146Replies: 1951Has thanked: 3114 timesBeen thanked: 8974 times
Not quite… imagine a large lady with magnificent bosoms stuck out to the fore and a kardashian sized bottom sticking out aft. The counter is the upwardly curving bit at the rear – lol – below the transom (windows?) of old sailing ships.
This line though is referring to a shapely girl described using ship terminology!
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Registered On:Topics: 3Replies: 79Has thanked: 98 timesBeen thanked: 349 timesI believe it is just proper English to refer to animals using the masculine gender until you know that they are female.
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Registered On: February 5, 2019Topics: 16Replies: 222Has thanked: 864 timesBeen thanked: 895 timesI’m probably pretty typical in automatically calling dogs and cats he or she respectively. Most dog owners will actually correct me if necessary. After a few encounters I can remember to use the correct pronouns. And I do notice, when I’m walking a dog, some folk will ask before using a pronoun for the dog (Unless said dog is doing something obvious to illustrate their status ! )
Marti x.
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Registered On: February 22, 2021Topics: 5Replies: 119Has thanked: 644 timesBeen thanked: 372 timesThe answer may have a foundation in language. In German and Spanish objects tend to be assigned a sex. For instance in German a wagon is male, Der Wagon..a door is female, die tur…
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- Registered On: November 17, 2018Topics: 146Replies: 1951Has thanked: 3114 timesBeen thanked: 8974 times
Spiders is an odd one. In general I think it is the female spider that is often larger and more aggressive – and therefore the uglier? of the sexes. Poor old daddy spider is often eaten for lunch right after doing his bit. Its this perception of scariness and hairyness that points us to making assumptions and giving them male names and attributes. In Tolkien’s stories spiders are female.
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- Registered On: January 31, 2021Topics: 41Replies: 470Has thanked: 357 timesBeen thanked: 2096 times
How remiss of me I had forgotten about Tolkiens spiders. The first Spider Ungoliant of course spawned the race of giant spiders and must therefore be thought of as female. Why that should also be the case for Shelob I’m not clear. Aragog, Hagrids giant spider friend from Harry Potter was of course male.
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- Registered On: November 17, 2018Topics: 146Replies: 1951Has thanked: 3114 timesBeen thanked: 8974 times
Keep now thy lips from overspeech! Of Harry Potter I will hear not! OMG! – talking hats!!!!! (there’s anthropomorphism for you.) Derivative nonsense sucked from Tolkien and C.S Lewis. And nowhere near as good! IMHO. No offence meant. Tolkiens inanimate objects knew no language, even if he had living trees.
I met one the other day, the buggers are waking up from their winter sleep. One reached down with its twiggy fingers, whipped off my bobble hat, and held it up at arms length! Nearly took my wig with it.
I also saw a train load of Wizards once, buts that’s another story.
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