Is your computer male or female?

[Jerry Freeman]

A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. ''House'' for instance, is feminine: ''la casa.''''Pencil,'' however, is masculine: "el lapiz.''

A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?''

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether ''computer'' should be a masculine or a feminine noun.

Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that ''computer'' should definitely be of the feminine gender (''la computer''), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine (''el computer''), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[amar]

der computer.
nuff said.

[emmline]

I've been trying to have an intuitive sense of mine, but I think it's rather androgynous, and that's a good thing.

[bradhurley]

That's funny, a co-worker sent me that same joke a few months ago, but the class was French, not Spanish.

In French, l'ordinateur (the computer) is masculine.

I wonder what the Ojibway word for computer is? In that language, nouns are animate or inanimate. The stars, for example, are animate. The human body is inanimate, but the soul is animate.

[MarkB]

Bradhurley wrote

In French, l'ordinateur (the computer) is masculine.

Does that mean l'extraordinateur is femmine for a Mac computer in French?

MarkB

[brewerpaul]

I think mine is bisexual 'cause it runs on AC...

[jsluder]

I think mine is bisexual 'cause it runs on AC...

Ah, the alternating lifestyle. My laptop is more direct.

[Nanohedron]

Mine's masculine, but decidedly metrosexual.

[jsluder]

Mine's masculine, but decidedly metrosexual.

[Nanohedron]

That emery board's been used. That your kit, jsluder?

[jsluder]

That emery board's been used. That your kit, jsluder?

Nah, this is my kit:

[jGilder]

"Women should be obscene and not heard." - Groucho Marx

[jsluder]

"Women should be obscene and not heard." - Groucho Marx

You're on a real roll with the Groucho quotes. What are you gonna do when you run out? Harpo quotes?

[Denny]

"Women should be obscene and not heard." - Groucho Marx

You're on a real roll with the Groucho quotes. What are you gonna do when you run out? Harpo quotes?

I'm pretty sure that Jack is not that kind of guy...

[dubhlinn]

IRTrad quotes maybe...?

Slan,
D.