# Poll for men and women - sitting and sexual preference **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023 "2012-02-26T01:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/21 "2012-02-26T14:44:14Z")
Often slumped almost horizontally. Other times with right heel on the chair under left thigh. Straight male. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/22 "2012-02-26T14:45:34Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > Women sit with their legs together because it’s been drilled into them since they were little girls that nice girls do not sit with their legs apart. > > Female, straight, and I sit in most of those postitions, depending on where I am and what I’m doing and what kind of chair I’m sitting in. Yes, I remember once sitting at the pub with some friends, wearing denim jeans, with my legs about 40 degrees apart, when a friend-of-a-friend who I didn’t know looked over and said “Cross your legs and sit like a lady!” Er, thanks, mate. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/23 "2012-02-26T15:34:06Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Most women sit with legs together, or men with legs apart, because of biology. The hip joint insists on it, it’s the natural comfortable arrangement. I’d like to see a cite for this. IME, both as a girl and a woman, people spend an inordinate amount of time telling little girls to put their knees together and “sit like a lady.” When they’re wearing a skirt above the knee, even I do it, because we just don’t look at other people’s underwear in polite society, and if you sit like that, I have to look at your underwear, dear. So put your knees together so you’re not forcing someone else to be rude. I’ve studied a lot of anatomy and physiology, and no one’s ever suggested that sitting with your knees together is dictated by female hip joints. As a matter of fact, after a hip surgery - male or female - we stick a pillow between your knees when you’re lying or sitting so you DON’T put your knees together. It’s hard on the hip joint to be adducted that far. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/24 "2012-02-26T16:38:14Z")
The most popular for me is the legs apart a.k.a. “my balls are so huge!” position. If I’m sitting at a table and there’s someone across from me so that it’s inconvenient to stretch out my legs, I’ll sometimes sit sideways with my legs in the “figure 4” position. If I’m in a tight space (e.g. a window seat on a bus or airplane), I’ll sit with knees together. It’s not that comfortable, of course. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/25 "2012-02-26T18:07:10Z")
Far more likely to be a correlation between being fat and favourite position. Fatter you are, less likely you are to cross yer legs. And as a general rule, gays are less fat. So if you do find something, that’s probably it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/26 "2012-02-26T18:29:24Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Ankle on knee. Sitting with your legs crossed like a girl with your knew over knee is way too effeminate. The old thought used to be that if you could cross your legs like that you must not have a very big dick because it’s certainly uncomfortable when you have cock and balls to deal with in there. Oh good grief. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/27 "2012-02-26T19:08:55Z")
Male, legs apart, straight. If I do cross my legs, it’s usually in the “4” pattern. For some reason, I just can’t maintain the “knee-cross” position. It gets uncomfortable very quickly, which I hate, because it’s so much more elegant. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/28 "2012-02-26T19:49:57Z")
When I am not paying attention, I tend to put my right foot on top of my left foot and lay it on its side. This is a terrible position because it makes both of my feet fall asleep, but it seems to be some weird habit for me. Otherwise, I tend to cross my legs at the ankle or sit with my knees together. If there is a rung on a chair, I tend to stick my heel on it if I can. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/29 "2012-02-26T20:53:43Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > I’m currently sitting with my legs apart, knees up at chest level, feet up on the seat of my chair, and one heel resting on the other. What do I vote for? Well, certainly not men _or_ women… BTW, I just tried to cross my legs at the knees… _ **ow** _. where do you put your privates? (I’m talking to my fellow external-genetalia-users, of course) And come to think of it, Charlie Sheen has stood out for sitting that way, as in I see him sit down on a talk show and I think “How can he do that?” or “Wow, do any other guys do that?” Guess I should watch guys sit more… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/30 "2012-02-26T21:16:29Z")
People who wonder how guys sit knee-on-knee: When you have a long enough dick and a floppy scortum, it’s no problem whatsoever to shift it all up when you want to cross your legs. Seriously. I suspect the guys who have more of a “button” or “stub” would find shifting it out of the way to be a problem. Ladies, take note. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/31 "2012-02-26T21:34:56Z")
I mostly sit with my legs crossed - as in Indian-style (the way **Renee** posted), because I find that most comfortable, perhaps because of my height, or lack of, although I also sit with my legs down (I can cross them knee-on-knee as well, but that is a bit of a problem when the table/desk is in the way). Otherwise, I am a straight male. (not sure what to pick, but “legs apart” could fit since my upper legs are apart, as opposed to knee-on-knee crossed and further than ankle-over-knee crossed) ---
**Author:** ![Allthegood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Allthegood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allthegood)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/32 "2012-02-26T21:45:00Z")
I answered “I am female, sit with legs apart, and am straight.” However, that’s if I’m wearing slacks, shorts, or a very long skirt. If I’m wearing a knee length skirt, I generally try to keep my knees together. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/33 "2012-02-26T21:56:20Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I’d like to see a cite for this. I am basing my untrained assumptions of skeletal structure on studying anatomy when I draw. There’s a distinctive [line to the thigh](http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/163456/163456,1209113580,1/stock-photo-female-and-male-white-skeleton-black-background-11911801.jpg) that distinguishes male and female adults that seems obvious to me would affect how you sit. It may not be so marked in children, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/34 "2012-02-26T22:35:06Z")
Male- Straight Generally crossed at the ankle w/knees apart…not the figure 4 or the girly in a dress knee cross. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/35 "2012-02-26T22:59:01Z")
Gay male. If I’m on a couch alone I will tend to switch positions as my legs tire of a particular configuration. This includes a bunch of positions not mentioned by you. If there is a foot rest I might put my legs up. If I’m in a chair or next to people that tends to force me into space saving positions. I tend not to sit in the lady like crossed position. I’d be interested to know if women only sit that way when they are wearing a skirt. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/36 "2012-02-26T23:39:09Z")
Straight female- voted “knees together”, but I usually cross my legs at the ankle. Crossing at the knee is too uncomfortable for me. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/37 "2012-02-27T00:10:58Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I am basing my untrained assumptions of skeletal structure on studying anatomy when I draw. There’s a distinctive [line to the thigh](http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/163456/163456,1209113580,1/stock-photo-female-and-male-white-skeleton-black-background-11911801.jpg) that distinguishes male and female adults that seems obvious to me would affect how you sit. It may not be so marked in children, though. Neither of those is in anatomical neutral, though I see what you mean. Perhaps you are on to something; I’m not sure. But yes, the hips of prepubertal boys and girls are essentially identical, so maybe that’s why we have to remind little girls to sit like women… ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/38 "2012-02-27T00:15:44Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I am basing my untrained assumptions of skeletal structure on studying anatomy when I draw. There’s a distinctive [line to the thigh](http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/163456/163456,1209113580,1/stock-photo-female-and-male-white-skeleton-black-background-11911801.jpg) that distinguishes male and female adults that seems obvious to me would affect how you sit. It may not be so marked in children, though. Wow, that image is a steaming pile of bullshit. Unless you really believe that when men would stand straight, head straight and limbs (basically) straight, women would just _naturally_ be in a fucking pose like that skeleton is (skull tilted upwards and a bit to the side and the spine curved to thrust one hip outward (which would thus draw attention to the butt) and make the shoulders uneven). Btw, the spine curve is also what is making the femora appear to “naturally” draw together a bit instead of being more parallel. And if the average woman’s pelvis/hip width is wider than the average man’s, that would make the knees-crossed position _more_ painful, not less; it’d be more strain on the hip sockets because the legs would have to be pulled more to the center. God, I can’t get over that image. Male skeleton stands straight, all business while the female skeleton just _has_ to be posed _in a sexual manner_. Gimme a break. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/39 "2012-02-27T00:17:56Z")
Female. Sit with legs crossed at knees. Gay. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023/40 "2012-02-27T00:25:23Z")
And I like to sit in the lotus position and the half-lotus best of all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-for-men-and-women-sitting-and-sexual-preference/614023.md?page=3)