Hah. You're a funny lot. I don't talk with my plants.. or assign them genders. I do make polite conversation with the sow-bugs, woodlice, and worms. The other critters are too flighty for much more than a 'hello'.
Usual confusion between sex and gender. In many languages other than English common names have a grammatical gender, masculine, feminine or neuter. Obelixx has given some examples for French. What is confusing is that often there's no relationship between the sex and the gender of a plant or an animal. Until recently sex = male/female and gender = masculine/feminine/neuter. With recent changes in our society, those distinctions have become blurred when applied to people.
Snails are hermaphrodite, so they can have sex both ways simultaneously. Mustn't that be fun? So are earthworms. It is a fact little known outside my family that all earthworms are called Michael.
All the woodpigeons in my garden are called duck because when they have gauged themselves on red currents they fall of the bush and waddle up the path like fat ducks struggling to fly. All the robins Chester and the red kite is Julio. Pass as to why I only named the pigeon.
The rabbit that was eating my roses was called Bertie, though I suppose if the snails are called Brian then the rabbit should have been Dylan. I also have a robot mower called Zebedee because he knows when it's "time for bed".
Snails are hermaphrodite, so they can have sex both ways simultaneously. Mustn't that be fun? So are earthworms. It is a fact little known outside my family that all earthworms are called Michael.
I don't think I'd like doing it snail style. Google 'love dart' if you're curious.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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Until recently sex = male/female and gender = masculine/feminine/neuter. With recent changes in our society, those distinctions have become blurred when applied to people.