Comments on: He’s a Lady…Whoa, Whoa Whoa…He’s a Lady http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/01/13/hes-a-ladywhoa-whoa-whoahes-a-lady/ 68.3 Square Miles of D.C. News and Opinion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:05:00 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Mr T in DC http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/01/13/hes-a-ladywhoa-whoa-whoahes-a-lady/comment-page-1/#comment-434823 Mr T in DC Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:56:30 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=13411#comment-434823 The worst thing about the naming conventions of US Navy warships is the abandonment of the historic, traditional names in favor of not-even-dead-yet politicians. Recent examples include the submarines Jimmy Carter and John Warner, as well as the Bush and future Gerald Ford. All the great aircraft carrier names are vanishing, replaced by mediocre politicians; no more Lexington and Saratoga, Yorktown, Hornet, and Wasp. These are the names that turned the tide in the Pacific, who held the line after Pearl Harbor. Once the USS Enterprise is retired, and replaced by a newer aircraft carrier, it will sadly be called something like the Donald Rumsfeld or the Bill Clinton, and the name Enterprise will disappear from the navy rolls for the first time in decades. Please, stick to the classics, US Navy... The worst thing about the naming conventions of US Navy warships is the abandonment of the historic, traditional names in favor of not-even-dead-yet politicians. Recent examples include the submarines Jimmy Carter and John Warner, as well as the Bush and future Gerald Ford. All the great aircraft carrier names are vanishing, replaced by mediocre politicians; no more Lexington and Saratoga, Yorktown, Hornet, and Wasp. These are the names that turned the tide in the Pacific, who held the line after Pearl Harbor. Once the USS Enterprise is retired, and replaced by a newer aircraft carrier, it will sadly be called something like the Donald Rumsfeld or the Bill Clinton, and the name Enterprise will disappear from the navy rolls for the first time in decades. Please, stick to the classics, US Navy...

]]> By: cljo http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/01/13/hes-a-ladywhoa-whoa-whoahes-a-lady/comment-page-1/#comment-434748 cljo Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:20:38 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=13411#comment-434748 It should be noted that this is not just an American phenomenon nor is it restricted to the military. Ships, regardless of use, are referred to as 'she.' A common explanation is that the word for ship and boat is a feminine noun in most Indo-European languages. Others note that giving ships male names was a relatively rare occurrence until recently. The internet is filled with discussion on this issue, but no one really knows. It should be noted that this is not just an American phenomenon nor is it restricted to the military. Ships, regardless of use, are referred to as 'she.'

A common explanation is that the word for ship and boat is a feminine noun in most Indo-European languages. Others note that giving ships male names was a relatively rare occurrence until recently.

The internet is filled with discussion on this issue, but no one really knows.

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