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PaperclipPerfector  12d ago (text post)   2337 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for December 6, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Lots of female names were formerly unisex names. Famously Evelyn Waugh (the male writer) was married to a female Evelyn.

But eventually, in most case, the female name crowds out the male name. Stacy (like Shannon) was a relatively newfangled name post WWII that was originally mostly female but perhaps 20% male. Now it's 100% female coded.

In 20 years, people will be saying, "Haha, this guy is named Taylor. Did his dad want him to get beat up, haha".

Or Ariel.

Also Ashley.

Likewise Vivian/Vivienne. Vivienne doesn't see much use anymore and Vivian has been pretty much 100% ceded as a female name, but as recently as the 1980s a Britcom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_Ones_(TV_series)) had a male character in it named Vivian (or Vyvyan, rather), and I don't think it was intended to be a joke like "ha ha this edgy punk has a girly name".

Lynn, Leslie and Kimberly were all common enough male British names too.

I believe the modern convention is that "Leslie" is female and "Lesley" is male.

Horrible name for a person of either sex though.

Famously Evelyn Waugh (the male writer) was married to a female Evelyn.

I heard she was wild in bed. A real homonymph.

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