# Girls: what's in a name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 1999, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501 "1999-12-30T04:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/21 "1999-12-31T03:33:00Z")
mikan - No offense taken! I’m amused most people think I’m a guy…I guess I must come across as “guyish” in my opinions or something… 😉 * * * “But I can cry until I laugh or laugh until I cry. So cut the deck right in half, I’ll play from either side…” - Mary Chapin Carpenter ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/22 "1999-12-31T03:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Wonder Woman…hoo hoo Hey hey now, no need to bring Wonder Woman’s hoo hoo into this. * * * – Teeming Millions: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) “Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/23 "1999-12-31T04:25:00Z")
I still prefer Isis over Wonder Woman…but I really dig Wonder Woman’s bracelets. I wanna block bullets with my wrists \< whine \> ---
**Author:** ![Andrea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c37758/32.png) [@Andrea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrea)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/24 "1999-12-31T04:46:00Z")
Agreed that feline related names tend to be female… I’ve noticed that any kind of canine name seems to be (USUALLY) male. Perhaps because of the association of feline=female=pussy, and stereotypical views of men=dogs. :::;shrug:::::: Just a guess? ---
**Author:** ![timmar68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@timmar68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/timmar68)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2000, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/25 "2000-01-03T04:43:00Z")
Ok, guys, quick! Just by going by my screen name…am I male or female? * * * MaryAnn No, stupid, it’s a boat! ---
**Author:** ![mikan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mikan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/26 "2000-01-05T12:29:00Z")
Tsk, tsk, what on earth has caused this thread to get bumped so far down the list? (Er, no need to answer that.) Just thought I’d welcome ThisYearsGirl to the Girl list. ---
**Author:** ![mikan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mikan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/27 "2000-01-05T12:37:00Z")
I am kinda disappointed :::sobbing::: that no one responded to my question in the OP about the dimunitive connotations of “girl”. I really did mean it as a serious question about changing linguistic practices, honest! ---
**Author:** ![fuzzy-wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fuzzy-wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzy-wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/28 "2000-01-05T14:00:00Z")
hmmmm I didn’t really think it mattered on a message board if you were male or female…depending on the subject I guess you could tell from someone’s point of view…fuzzy-wuzzy was a bear…didn’t say male or female…lol * * * “Do or do not, there is no try” - Yoda ---
**Author:** ![Melatonin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@Melatonin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melatonin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/29 "2000-01-05T16:22:00Z")
Gender-neutral nicknames are fun- Because trolls don’t know whether to call you a cunt or a dickhead, they are forced to be a little more creative and you can really amass vocabulary from them. ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/30 "2000-01-05T17:24:00Z")
don’t forget GirlbySea…I don’t think she posts much but she’s pretty famous by association! And calling a woman a girl makes them feel young. Carefree etc… Plus I think that women have ‘claimed’ the power of the word? Much like Homosexuals have done with ‘fag’ and African Americans have done with ‘Nigger’. ## Thats just a WAG to answer your question. Me I like girls! -Frankie I’m not a shrimp, I’m a King Prawn. -Pepe the Prawn ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/31 "2000-01-05T17:57:00Z")
In response to the OP… NEVER… Repeat, NEVER… EVER call me sailor boy! ::retches in the corner:: ---
**Author:** ![missdavis102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@missdavis102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missdavis102)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/32 "2000-01-06T06:07:00Z")
I’ve frequently been called Miss Davis in real life, so it was only natural to call myself that here as well, since I like it so much. As for the diminutive, I think it’s becoming more accepted, as women have taken to calling themselves that. My friends and I refer to each other almost exclusively as “the girls”. I also like “ladies”, though, but only in a certain mood. “Ladies” to me sounds kind of ironic and naughty all at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2000, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/33 "2000-01-06T06:09:00Z")
_grinning_ Oh chief…how much ya wanna pay me NOT to call you Sailor Boy at the Norfolk gathering??? 😉 * * * “But I can cry until I laugh or laugh until I cry. So cut the deck right in half, I’ll play from either side…” - Mary Chapin Carpenter ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2000, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501/34 "2000-01-06T06:12:00Z")
I regreted that post .023 seconds after clicking “Submit Reply”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-whats-in-a-name/12501.md?page=1)