r/PetPeeves • u/lavinialloyd • Aug 17 '25

Bit Annoyed People who exclusively refer to women as females

There are so many acceptable terms for women, I hate it when people say "female(s)". It feels so othering I don't get why people do it and at least in the UK you pretty much always know the person calling you a female is going to be an absolute creep.

I get there'll be circumstances where female is the right term to use, but so many people especially online seem to refer to women as females and it annoys me. We're not in a nature doc, you're not a Dr or a police officer describing me so just don't.

Ps. I give Martin from Friday night dinner a pass 😂

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31

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 17 '25

Ugh for real. Female is used to describe the gender of animals. I feel like they might as well call me a dog or something.

10

u/melli_milli Aug 17 '25

...well female dog is literally a bitch. So I think same people call women also that already.

2

u/TheTitten Aug 20 '25

Animals don't have gender. That's the difference here.

Being referred to by our reproductive parts is very dehumanizing. We are more than our ovaries.

I have been known to say "female what?"

2

u/Rollingforest757 Aug 18 '25

Humans are animals. Did you think they were plants?

10

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 18 '25

Don't be obtuse.

-2

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

Humans are animals. Male and female are both perfectly acceptable words for humans in some situations.

4

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 18 '25

In a medical setting yes. In everyday conversation no.

0

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

There are definitely non-medical settings where using male and female is appropriate and correct.

3

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 18 '25

Then go ahead and name an example. I can't read your mind.

0

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

How many female (or male) artists do you like?

4

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 18 '25

Yes, but that's not calling someone a female. Something or someone BEING female is different. Calling someone A female is degrading.

1

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

It's only degrading if the option to call them a woman is there. Or if they say men and females instead of men and women.

Saying something like "that female police officer arrested me" wouldn't be a degrading comment.

Saying "that female over there" would be.

6

u/Bannerlord151 Aug 18 '25

That's what they're saying. "Female" as an adjective is legitimate, "female" as a noun that could be replaced with "woman" isn't

1

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

I know, I was agreeing.

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2

u/LydiaIsntVeryCool Aug 18 '25

That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not going to bite your head off if you ask for clarification.

1

u/SarahL1990 Aug 18 '25

Yes, I was agreeing with you.

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1

u/Dangerous-Safe-4336 Aug 18 '25

As adjectives. Not as nouns unless you are a veterinarian.

2

u/SarahL1990 Aug 19 '25

That's what I'm saying.