Myth. The Bee Gees were so named because of singer Barry Gibb and two other guys who were originally associated with the group, a DJ named Bill Gates and a promoter named Bill Goode.
I always assumed it was a Latin grammar thing (e.g., The House Beautiful, etc.)
I don’t buy the misogyny approach as the reason
I think it is . Maybe the reverse-syntax caché plus the overrepresentation of men made it more common. Also, it’s almost always an artistic name, nobody says “the brothers Smith” when introducing a family.
In Spanish, the reverse syntax is not possible, but it’s the same for masculine and feminine.
Las hermanas García, but NEVER las García hermanas; it doesn’t work even poetically.
Not misogyny, exactly, but a simple inability to imagine a world in which women were independent in business and public life, apart from their male relatives.
Not quite on point, but I remember in an old etiquette book that you could send an invitation to “the Misses Smith” if you were inviting all of them, and to be aware that “Miss Smith” would refer to the eldest unmarried Miss Smith. If you meant your lovelorn missive to go to another, it should be addressed to Miss <Firstname> Smith
Here in Peru (and I imagine in most places) the traditional way of addressing a wedding invitation is Sr. Juan Pérez y Sra. (Mr. Juan Pérez and Mrs.) even if you only know the wife. When I got married, I addressed my invitations to married female friends (unless the husband was also my friend) as Sra. María García y esposo (Mrs. María García and husband). My idea was “I don’t care if you bring your husband, you’re my friend, and it’s you I want to see”. a few husbands were offended, but all the women loved it.
“The Sisters X” doesn’t seem to be so unusual in modern writing. Some examples, many from very mainstream sources:
[ul]
[li]“The sisters Kardashian” (from Elle)[/li][li]“The sisters Olsen” (from Marie Claire)[/li][li]“The sisters Simpson” (from the Los Angeles Times)[/li][li]“The sisters Duff” (from MTV)[/li][li]“The sisters Bush” (from Celebrator)[/li][li]“The sisters Fanning” (from Fashionista)[/li][li]“The sisters Williams” (from Malay Mail)[/li][li]“The sisters Spears” (from Huffington Post)[/li][li]“The sisters Hilton” (from Vegas Seven)[/li][li]A different set of “sisters Hilton” (from Charlotte Magazine)[/li][li]“The sisters Mara” (also Richardson, Mills, Cartwright, Wood, Arquette, and de Haviland) (from The Film Experience)[/li][/ul]
People Back Home tend to exclaim “oh, the Navabros’ sister!” when they finally “place me”.
I always point out that one, I do share my brothers’ lastname and two, as I’m the eldest it’s them who are my brothers thank you. It’s understandable when whomever has just gone :smack: knows them better, but sometimes it’s been done by someone who’d actually known me longer!
And there’s the Smith Brothers, as in cough drops, Trade and Mark. : D