Why does everyone assume I'm a man?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 12 - 10:48 PM

...or you're Chongo!

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 12 - 11:03 PM

By the way, I'm trying hard to convince Shane NOT to start a thread entitled "Why does everyone think I'm an idiot?"

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Oct 12 - 11:08 PM

He didn't feel comfortable with the word "assume"...he thinks it's rude.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 03:09 AM

Stick to TVTrope. And get back to school.

Perhaps your selections caused our confusion.
Perhaps your choice in songs.

The Downeaster Alexa

And if you work with the rod and the reel
Tell my wife I am trawling Atlantis
And I still have my hands on the wheel


Sheik of Araby
Well I'm the sheik of Araby
Your love belongs to me
Well at night where you're asleep
Into your tent I'll creep.
(Aint never been no female sheik in all the Arbian penensula - though the Emir of Oman is "a little light in his sandals.")

Babalu
You can restore all the dreams that once were mine
If only you'll use some mystic sign.
Ah! Great Babalù! Bring her back to me.

Jean and Dinah
(by MightySparrpw)
Well the girls in town feeling bad
No more Yankees in Trinidad
They going to close down the base for good
Them girls have to make out how they could

"Twilight In Barakeesh"

And while on high,
The silver crescent swings,
Unto his love an Arab rover sings.

True as the blade of my scimitar keen
Staunch as the steel of the shield that I wear,
Is my love, oh Gulnare!
And when my sword on the enemy's rings,
When 'gainst my shield his arrows he wings,
should I false be to thee Gulnare.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

It is now time to register for the next term.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,Marianne S.
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 03:44 AM

I know of two Morwens - not Morwyns - both male. Many people have names which can be either - Hilary, Kerry, Lynn for example.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 05:48 AM

Blodwen
Brangwen
Bronwyn
Ceinwen

"Morwen?"

Seems a no brainer, and none of the above are male forms of ****wenna.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Kit Griffiths
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 06:21 AM

I probably haven't posted here often enough to merit anyone making assumptions either way, but elsewhere people generally take "Kit" as an abbreviation for "Katharine". Which, of course, it is -but, as in my case, it's also a long-standing diminutive of "Christopher".

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 06:22 AM

Gargoyle: Actually, I can't because I'm going to go to TAFE
next year. And no, I'm not sticking to TV Tropes because I like it here.

Downeaster Alexa and Jean and Dinah have been done by women. Mostly by men, but occasionally by women. (Denyse Plummer did Jean and Dinah as part of an old-time medley and I've seen a video of a woman doing Downeaster Alexa) Twilight In Barakeesh is sung by a woman in the original operetta. I'm not even gonna touch what is wrong with you implying The Sheik Of Araby is exclusively sung from a male viewpoint. (The chorus, yes, but not the verses.)   

Plus, this is a folk music forum, and heaps of women sing folk and folk-style songs from a male perspective. And the other way around. It's part of empathy.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 06:34 AM

Here's the proof about Twilight In Barakeesh:

http://archive.org/stream/roseofalgeria00herb#page/84/mode/2up

The vocal score marks the main part as "Sultana." A Sultana is the female ruler of a sultanate, not the wife of a sultan.. The song is about a man, but sung by a woman. (Sidenote: the character of Zoradie also sings "Rose Of The World", addressed from a man to a woman, which in-story is meant to be a poem she found)

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: johncharles
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 06:36 AM

Morwen, on a serious note you may be well advised to consider the nature of internet discussion boards and how much you really want to reveal about yourself.
I say this having looked at other sites which you appear on but which I will not mention here.
john

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 06:47 AM

OK. Several times I've considered posting stuff and thought, "Maybe not."
On another part of that serious note, even if I were to delete everything I've posted, it could still be findable.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,Marianne S.
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 08:29 AM

@Don T

You post a list of female Welsh names and say they are not male versions of a female Cornish name.

Well, no, that's because they are Welsh and female, and therefore by definition not Cornish and male.

No brainer indeed.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 09:38 AM

There's a whole bunch of what were men's names that people nowadays tend to assume are female - Evelyn, Shirley, Robin, Joyce, Enda...

The other way round, which Morwen is complkaining about here, is really pretty unusual.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 09:58 AM

Not when it is a matter of diminutives, McG ~~ Charlie, Sam, Mickey ...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 10:48 AM

"Why does everyone assume I'm a man?"

I never gave a rat's ass one way or the other, btw.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 12:10 PM

Not when it is a matter of diminutives, McG ~~ Charlie, Sam, Mickey ...

How so? Those are more to be seen as examples of men's names being assigned to women - except that they can be seen as abbreviations of women's names such as Charlotte, Samantha and Michaela rather than Charles, Samuel and Michael. Although until relatively recently those female names never had those abbreviations, which were invariably associated with the male version.

I'm trying to think of any case where it's happened the other way round.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 05:44 PM

I suppose we will all know Mor Wen we lern to spel...

DtG

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Joe_F
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 09:31 PM

Don't worry about what people think of you. They don't do it much.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,nobody in particular
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 10:30 PM

Could it be because you lie on the sofa in your whitey tighties squeezing your volcano?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: meself
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 10:43 PM

Weird.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,nobody in particular
Date: 14 Oct 12 - 10:47 PM

all day long? even in front of company?

Take no offence, please, I'm just having fun with the topic.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Megan L
Date: 15 Oct 12 - 04:23 AM

To Mackenzie Everyone knows the french car was named after a grumpy auld Scots wifie.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 12:44 PM

Morry, I figured you as female by the style, or maybe content, or maybe both, of your posts, even though I first took "male" from your handle--obviously I'm not a Tolkien fan. It took a few paragraphs worth of posts for me to feel sure after an early general impression of female. I'm also not a linguist so I can't clearly explain the specific clues but women and men do usually speak and write differently.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 12:54 PM

And yes there is still a strong male normative tendecy in society. A bit of drift: As far as I can tell secretarial courses that taught business writing simply taught women to write in a way that is meaningful and acceptable to men. I can't say if current "business writing" courses and workshops do the same these days. Probably to a large extent because although there is more latitude in many business contexts, formal business writing has changed about as much as formal business attire.

Back to regular programming...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: gnu
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 01:40 PM

Actually, I find formal business writing has changed a great deal in the past 40 40 years, so much in fact that the "name" has been changed to variants of Effective Writing. An example is : Enclosed please find > Here is.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: meself
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 02:06 PM

Hmmmmm - it's curious that, for example, "Enclosed pleased find" would be more "meaningful and acceptable to men", than "Here is" ....

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 02:29 PM

Well! Slap me with a wet fish!!
Sweetums is back!!

Hello, Sweetums!
:0) << Wavey Smiley....

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,Marianne S.
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 10:36 AM

What's that got to do with anything?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 11:21 AM

Que pasa?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 11:27 AM

No mucho de nada. Rascarse el culo y el bostezo. ¿Qué tal si?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,Marianne S.
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 01:25 PM

Elle ne s'intéresse qu'à son propre cul. Elle est jusqu'à elle.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 01:59 PM

Estoy bien, gracias. Pero no puedo encontrar mi perro. El no esta' aqui.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,amergin
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 02:10 PM

I am always astounded that everyone on the internet assumes that I am just a regular dirty old man....instead of the gift from god to all womankind that I truly am....I just don't understand how they can just not know...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 02:13 PM

I just can't understand why people think I'm a fly...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 02:51 PM

It's a bird's motto: Have Wings, Will Fly.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 02:59 PM

What's a motto?

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:09 PM

Why does everyone assume he's Italian?

What's a motto you, hey........

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:21 PM

The line was from The Lion King:

"What's a motto?"

"Nothin'. What's a motto with you?"

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 04:37 PM

Yes, but it was the closest I could find in a song..
Come ON! ;0)

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 07:55 PM

And there's always Nick MacLeod (stand-off for Sale Sharks). I find it strange that someone should be called daughter of son of something!

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 17 Oct 12 - 11:47 PM

Have you considered....long (multi year) counseling?

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

surrogate trans therapy might also work for the paternal grandfather's step-son if the insurance will cover a close shave with a straight razor.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,Chris Murray
Date: 20 Oct 12 - 07:21 PM

People assume I'm a man too. Can't think why!

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 12:53 AM

i have a similar situation...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 12 - 08:14 PM

Same here! It's like if your username sounds somewhat neutral, you are automatically considered to be male... but yeah, I can't deny that it can be hard to distinguish someone's gender by simply observing their username...

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 22 Oct 12 - 04:22 PM

People have assumed I'm male (now & then). I honestly was not trying to pick an opaque nick; I thought it would give folks a better idea of where I'm coming from (so to speak)/who I am than my actual name would - since I'm originally from the US and now live in Yorkshire.

But I realised - when I saw the name "cranky yankee" (or whatever, sorry! don't remember it precisely) - that I assumed the person in question is male... so I guess folks naturally assume "yankee" refers to a man - at least on a personal level. So it goes...

Anyway, in your case, the upshot is that a lot of folks on Mudcat - especially those with little-to-no exposure to Welsh language/culture - will have no clue about what gender the name Morwen should connote.

As for Gargoyle's various comments - try not to take them personally (easier said than done, I know...). He is known on Mudcat for saying things that are unkind, although his content is sometimes helpful/knowledgeable.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Arkie
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 03:15 PM

I encounter more Welsh names these days than in former years which I suspect is due at least in part to time spent on the internet. I am completely baffled by the language and pronunciations. Though it does appear to be a beautiful language. I make no assumptions about the sex implied by a name. Until provided a specific clue, my only assumption is that the name applies to a person. I realize that Chongo might be offended by that assumption. The only Welsh name I can tackle with any degree of certainty is Jones and that being a last name does not carry any gender qualifications. But the western world is not as far removed from gender bias of earlier times as we would like to think.

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 09:33 PM

Morwen, I don't know why people assume you are a man, but this thread is making me glad that I chose ChanteyLass as my user name!

Subject: RE: Why does everyone assume I'm a man?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 23 Oct 12 - 11:04 PM

You drive a large red tractor?