The gender of the machine

[BigBrother-84]

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!

[Gary Lewis]

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.

[BigBrother-84]

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.

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!

 

[Rembrant]

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!!

[farmboy60]

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!!

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

[Gary Lewis]

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

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!

[mat in tn]

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!

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]

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!

[BigBrother-84]

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...

[Nothing Special]

.... 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!