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The gender of the machine

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BigBrother-84

The gender of the machine

Hi folks!
Here is a poor little French Canadian trying to write the best English as he could, lol!
Get some difficulty about the gender in English. Trucks are mostly called "she" in yours posts. On my side, I named mine "Big Brother 1984":
This Crew Cab is STRONG, BIG, one ton truck, and born in ´84 (the year Apple launched its Macintosh and destroyed in a famous ad the «Big Brother» of George Orwell).
For me, it's a Big Boy, made for hard works. So, it's "he".
Do all of you smile when I talk about BigBro as a male?
What's the rule?
Thanks!

Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.

Gary Lewis

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

I think of and talk about Big Blue as "he". As you said, he's a "big boy" and there's nothing feminine about him.

As for your English, it is far, FAR better than my French. In fact, I really don't know any French, in spite of having vacationed in France several times. So I am in awe of people who can type or speak another language, and will never make fun of them.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

BigBrother-84

Re: The gender of the machine

Haha! Thanks Gary!
My brother in law is a nice English Canadian guy, from Saskatchewan, now leaving in Whistler BC.
He married my sister and, you can imagine, had to learn french. He is very good, I have to admit! His main difficulty was (and still remains) with the gender we apply to almost everything in french. In english, this is less common, almost only for vehicles and boats...
We have funny discussions about this, lol!
Thanks for your answer, I'll feel more confident when talking about BigBro!

Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.

Rembrant

Re: The gender of the machine

In reply to this post by BigBrother-84

I think vehicles have always been "She" for me, but I've probably called them he as well.

I'll tell you something funny about having to learn some French words years ago. My wife and I have had Basset Hounds for 20+ years, and currently have our 5th and 6th dogs now. All but one were rescues or adult dogs we got from other people, for various reasons. Anyway, our 2nd and 3rd Bassets were a pair of litter mates we got from two neighboring French families that were leaving to move back to Quebec. Halifax is a big Navy town, and a lot of them get transferred a lot, so they come and go. Something that had never occurred to us prior to owning these dogs was that dogs learn specific languages also, and these two only knew French haha. Basset Hounds are not big on learning a lot of commands to begin with, but the commands these ones did know, were only French. The female's name was Cuddie, and if we wanted her to come to us, we had to say "ici Cuddie", pronounced "E-see Cuddie" and she'd come running like a bullet! ici is the French word for "here".

That's my funny story for adopting a couple dogs that didn't "speak" English lol.

We had to take French classes in school until grade 9. Once grade 10 hit, it was optional and I opted out. I know some basic words, and I can read French road signs and restaurant menus when I'm in Quebec, but I can't speak the language at all.

Being bilingual in Canada opens a lot of doors for people with regards to employment, so it's worthwhile for kids to learn it in school in my opinion.

In any case, nice masculine truck you've got there!! Bonne chance!!

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

farmboy60

Re: The gender of the machine

growing up in Ottawa if you didn't learn french you didn't have a lot of friends A mondue.

Gary Lewis

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

Growing up in Kansas it was almost like learning English was optional. Man, the way some people butcher it just grates on my nerves!

I had Latin in high school. Like that was going to help me tour Europe! Some of the kids took French, but not I. Who needs another language?!?!

When we lived in the UK I was amazed at how much French and German the Brits knew. Yep, in spite of them calling the French "Frogs", and almost being invaded by Germans, many have learned the language in order to travel there. So I'm embarrassed at how little I know of other languages.

As for "dog language", we watched the new movie Finch last night. The robot, Jeff, was trying to learn "Dog" and driving Finch bananas barking at Goodyear. Finally Finch explained "Dogs don't have a language!"

But obviously they learn certain sounds, like their names and "here". I just never thought about a dog understanding only French, or German, or English. I guess I can relate - I'm just like a dog!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

mat in tn

Re: The gender of the machine

here in tn there is plenty of butchering of the english language as well. i myself skip the cap on my typing but i find typing a distraction bad enough. i think 9 times faster than i type. however.... gender... my truck is bubba. although its not my doing. my first wife loved the truck when we found it. two days later she adopted my ''sports car''. saying that she was not going to drive that bubba truck. so as a smart a.. response its now ( 30 years and counting) called bubba. not all cars get names though. their personality must appear first. my kids sometimes name the cars. if i can deal with it, it sticks.if i figure out how to post pics i will

BigBrother-84

Re: The gender of the machine

In reply to this post by Rembrant

Rembrant wrote

Something that had never occurred to us prior to owning these dogs was that dogs learn specific languages also, and these two only knew French haha.
[...] if we wanted her to come to us, we had to say "ici Cuddie", pronounced "E-see Cuddie" and she'd come running like a bullet

LOOOOOL !!!

You made my day! Never thought about that, you made me realize that even our pets "talk" our mother's language!

Thanks so much for this funny story!

Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.

BigBrother-84

Re: The gender of the machine

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

Growing up in Kansas it was almost like learning English was optional.

Hahahaha!
Is this the "A Little Humor" thread?
Gentlemen, I am laughing so loud, sitting alone looking at my phone, my wife thinks I am getting a little nuts...

Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.

Nothing Special

Re: The gender of the machine

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

.... I had Latin in high school. Like that was going to help me tour Europe! Some of the kids took French, but not I. Who needs another language?!?! ....

When I visited my relatives in Sweden back in the '80s I learned the most "basic" Swedish for the trip: Forlat, jag talar inte Svenska (I apologize, I speak no Swedish).

They told me that wasn't a problem. Swedish was a completely useless language. Traveling anywhere in Europe required knowing two languages: English because everyone spoke that, and French, because they wouldn't admit that they spoke English!

Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks
"Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears
"Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires
"the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10
"the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins

Gary Lewis

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

In reply to this post by BigBrother-84

BigBrother-84 wrote

Hahahaha! Is this the "A Little Humor" thread? Gentlemen, I am laughing so loud, sitting alone looking at my phone, my wife thinks I am getting a little nuts...

Fixed it for you.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Gary Lewis

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

In reply to this post by Nothing Special

Nothing Special wrote

When I visited my relatives in Sweden back in the '80s I learned the most "basic" Swedish for the trip: Forlat, jag talar inte Svenska (I apologize, I speak no Swedish).

They told me that wasn't a problem. Swedish was a completely useless language. Traveling anywhere in Europe required knowing two languages: English because everyone spoke that, and French, because they wouldn't admit that they spoke English!

There's a lot of truth in that. We've traveled all over Europe and were able to communicate well enough to get by with our English, although since I was in Germany quite a bit I learned a teeny bit of that. And the only person that wouldn't try to communicate with us in English was a young lady in Paris. All of the other Parisians and everyone in the south and in Normandy gladly used English. But the young lady in Paris would NOT and was emphatic she would not. Made me think she knew English but wanted us to know French.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

85lebaront2

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by mat in tn

My truck was named Darth Vader by my son and a group of his friends as the original grille guard, Lund visor and predominately black paint resembled Darth Vader (they were 16-17 at the time). He has remained Darth ever since.

Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

Machspeed

Re: The gender of the machine

Administrator

In reply to this post by BigBrother-84

This topic was brought up some time ago and I find it interesting. Kind'a crazy, I know, but all my vehicles have names and gender:

69 Mustang Mach 1 - Female, name is "Queenie"
86 Ford F150 - Male, name is Blackie.....kids named it. Started out as "The Black", and later became "Blackie"
2014 Ford Focus ST - Male, name is "Lil Buddy", sometimes referred to as "Catfish".

John

"Blackie" - 1986 F150 4x4 - Mildly warmed over 351W HO - Original owner

mat in tn

Re: The gender of the machine

one of my trucks is definitely female. i decide to try my hand at fake patina. so i bought a 93 flareside wreck cheap. replaced all of the bad front end and a door with parts on hand, painted the truck and left all blemishes that were solid . not looking for a perfect prep just no real rust or loose paint. then painted my patina colors all over it . then i spent the next few days wet sanding it to wher i felt it was just right. then i clear coated the entire truck. some wood bedside rails and she looks weathered. years later since the roof and hood have faded it just looks better. anyway, while sanding myself silly i thought of a dolly parton interview where she claimed something like '' it takes a lot of effort to look this cheap ''. so there you have it . we now have ''dolly' in the family too.

BigBrother-84

Re: The gender of the machine

After all these efforts to make "her" look that way, you found the perfect name, for sure!

Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022.
Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel.