I would assume that females do it because they find it comfortable. I know that’s why I do it (I’m a guy)…in fact, I’m sitting that way right now.
Female, “middle aged”, and I find myself doing this all the time. I think it’s easier to get myself “sat down” with that leg to help with lowering me. Trouble is, after a half hour or so I realize that’s painful, and then it’s a hassle to get the now-cramped leg stretched out (I almost always sit with my feet stretched out along the couch).
I’m doing it right now.
I’m tall (5’9"), and I don’t really sit ON the foot – my foot is under my thigh but closer to my knee than my butt – so it’s not a need-more-height thing, for me. There’s very few chairs, benches, sofas, whatever, where my feet can’t be flat on the floor.
It’s comfortable, sometimes moreso than just sitting up straight. I usually tuck the left leg (and lean against the left arm of the chair, stretching out my mousing arm), but all this talk of which leg got me curious if I could be comfortable the other way, so I tried it. Right leg tucked, also comfortable.
I’m right leg dominant. In circus class the teachers encourage you to climb the apparatus switching off with both sides, but I’m a real idiot climbing on my left.
Yes, I suppose this (technically) makes me a circus person. (Not a guy, though.)
I’m male, used to sit this way when I was into yoga and martial arts, used to get a weird response from other guys.
I’m hearing caliope music. Amiright?
This is why I tuck up my feet. Being short, I find it more comfortable than having my feet dangle over the edge. I wouldn’t do it on an office chair though because of the swiveling.
Female, mid-40’s, on the short side, not a circus person - I don’t do it. It’s not comfortable to me.
I do it because it’s WAY more comfortable for me to have one or both legs crossed. I have to consciously keep from doing it in settings where it wouldn’t be appropriate.
I am short, old and female. My sister, also female and old, but over 6ft. tall does it. My son, male and middle aged and 6’ tall, also does it. My youngest grandson, 15 years old and 5’9" does it.
Somewhere there’s a leg crossing gene laying around in my family.
I’m gonna wager that it is more common in shorter people for all the offered reasons.
When I drove a truck/van for three years, quite often I would see a young petite woman in the car on my left side at a stop light. Remarkable how many times they had their left leg tucked under their butt/right leg.