Inspired by this question, what are are the feminine and gender-neutral equivalents of a ‘henpecked husband’? Would it be correct to say ‘cockpecked wife’ (even though that sounds dreadful) and ‘birdpecked’ or ‘bepecked spouse’? Answer Cock-pecked is the traditional counterpart, as the cock (or rooster) is the male counterpart to the hen. The Oxford English … Read more
In the English language, what are the right terms for a female wolf and a female owl; perhaps “she wolf” and “owl hen”? Are there distinct or separate words in English used for feminine? I checked in Wikipedia +other websites but found only “she-wolf” and “owl-hen”. Answer You used to have wolfess, now an archaic … Read more
I was thinking about the British Royal Family, particularly the Queen Mother and why she had that title. I started wondering if Queen Elizabeth II died before Prince Phillip (and Charles became King) would Phillip get an equivalent title (at least in the Press, which loves short nicknames for everyone). “King Father” would obviously be … Read more
The following meanings for the word “scold” are given in Oxford Dictionaries: a woman who nags or grumbles constantly. remonstrate with or rebuke (someone) angrily. So, the first one is a noun, the second one is a verb. My question would be – given the meaning of the noun, does the verb have any gender … Read more
There are a lot of widow questions here on SE. My same-sex partner has passed away, and today I referred to myself as a widower. But it appears in the Collins English Dictionary that a widower is a man whose wife has died and who has not remarried. It also has a very heavy connotation … Read more
The word “widow” is for women, while the male version adds “-er” onto it. I can’t think of any other words in English that does this. There’s words where male and female have different endings (“actor” versus “actress”), and cases where you specify maleness by putting “male” at the front (“male nurse”, “male prostitute”, “male … Read more
Per Farlex Trivia Dictionary, perfume or parfum is 20–40% oil and the highest concentration; eau de toilette is 10–18% oil, and cologne or eau de cologne is 3–9% oil. Leaving aside the technical aspect of those terms, does the meaning of “aftershave” and “cologne” overlap in common usage with that of any kind of fragrance … Read more
Is a man’s change purse sometimes called wallet by their owner? If so, what would they usually call their actual wallet to distinguish it from their change purse? purse: a small bag, pouch, or case for carrying money: a change purse. wallet Ngram wallet vs. billfold: a flat, folding case with compartments for paper money … Read more
If I want to distinguish social (or linguistic) gender and biological sex in a text, is there any polar pair of terms that clearly refers to organisms with a specific sex and not (also) to persons with a specific gender role? This is my perception of some (more or less popular) pairs: man/woman – ambiguous … Read more
What is the female equivalent of a “warlock”? It seems that other male-only words for paranormal practitioners have female equivalents: Wizard/Witch Sorcerer/Sorceress Enchanter/Enchantress Warlock/??? Answer According to the Merriam Dictionary, Warlock is the equivalent to a witch. Also, the e-Study Guide for Rock and Roll: A Social History by Paul Friedlander traces the word back … Read more
