PeevePile • A Pet Peeve Archive » Using "female" or "male" as a noun.

Using "female" or "male" as a noun.

We are women, not "females." Men, not "males." When did cop-speak become part of everyday parlance? When did we stop being girls, boys, men, and women, and just become objective gender things? I am a female human, a female professor, etc. Gender designations are descriptive and therefore adjectives. Didn't anyone else watch Schoolhouse Rock?

— Acacia from Peoria, IL | Language | 9.27.2010 | Comments (5)

female isn't a gender, it's a sex. the difference between sex and gender is biological/social. you are not born a woman, you are born a female, and society teaches you your gender role, which is woman. "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman" didn't anyone else read The Second Sex? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir

— peeve posted 10/5/2010

Damn, somebody beat me to it - but actually, previous-commenter, people don't in and of themselves have a gender. People have their sexes, male and female. Words have a gender, in many languages, being given male and female connotations. Seems like gender itself is this sexual association given to inanimate or intangible things. Maybe that's what you mean by it being a societal construct, but I think that's giving too much credit to society.

— CrankyBastard posted 10/5/2010

Putting on a clean pair of socks, entering the bathroom or kitchen and standing in a water splash left on the floor, thus getting your clean socks wet and forcing you to change them. » 5 stars

Excessive and difficult-to-remove packaging » 4.95455 stars

Having to act completely surprised and utterly amazed by any and all gifts given to you in a public setting. » 4.90909 stars

When two light switches control the same light, but one must be off and the other on for the light switch to work. » 4.90909 stars

Driving behind someone with their blinker on for miles. » 4.90909 stars

Being forced to participate in a bouquet/garter toss at a wedding » 4.9 stars

Saying that men watching their own kids are "babysitting." » 4.88235 stars

The dried lotion booger stuck on the nozzle of the lotion bottle. » 4.88235 stars

Using mobile phones at the register. » 127 Comments

When pregnant women complain about being pregnant. » 47 Comments

The non-existance of unpadded bras in cup sizes less than D. Macy's, Victoria's secret, and Bloomingdales do not carry them. unpadded. » 46 Comments

People who put ketchup in the refrigerator. » 44 Comments

People who deliberately pronounce words incorrectly and repeatedly. » 34 Comments

"Irregardless." » 32 Comments

Women who are just so beautiful they don't have to contribute to sex... » 32 Comments

Saying that men watching their own kids are "babysitting." » 27 Comments

The non-existance of unpadded bras in cup sizes less than D. Macy's, Victoria's secret, and Bloomingdales do not carry them. unpadded. » I'm a 36DD. I do need thin padding so no1 loses an eye on cool days & that hasn't been hard to find. What I am having zero success with is a bra my size that offers some semi-thick padding beneath my breasts. I know that the purpose of this padding is to offer girls with a smaller cup sz some added lift, but with DDs I need lift too, just for a different reason. I don't want the "girls" smacking my chin, but I don't want them slapping my knees either. – drinna28 5/15

Touching a pregnant woman's belly without being A) the father, or B) her OB-GYN. » When i was pregnant, my hubby allows me and i also agree with it try it u will hve fun – Atiqa 5/14

When deli sandwiches or bagels with cream cheese are cut in half but the cut does not go all the way through, so you have to tear it in half anyway. The balance and structure of the sandwich are needlessly compromised. » hi there stevo this is the web address info ,give them a call ,tell them gazza recommened you – garydetlon 5/11

Can I Ask You a Question? » Common persons do not have appropriate essays writing abilities. – CraneDora 5/10

10.31.10

Thanks to a recent torrent of spam, I’ve had to disable comments for a while. I’ve now removed the ability to put links in the comments. Email me if you want to put something in, such as five links to knock-off handbag sites, and I’ll happily oblige.

09.10.10

I’ve added two features to the sidebar: Highest Rating and Hotly Debated. They will be updated daily. To my surprise, the ketchup-in-fridge peeve seemed to really incite some anger — it’s clearly a complex situation that affects us all.

It should be noted that the star ratings indicate how much you agree with, or appreciate, the peeve, not how you feel when it happens.

I will be adding a Paragon Peeves section as well, for my and my friends’ personal favorites.

Please enjoy, and contact me if you have any new feature ideas.