Your comments: What women talk about

The original list

The long-standing myth that women talk more than men has been undermined by researchers in the US, whose study found female subjects spoke only 546 extra words a day.

Along with a light-hearted list of what those 546 words might be, we asked for your suggestions for words women use but men don't.

Not everyone considered our list to be quite so light-hearted, and a selection of critical e-mails can be found at the bottom of this page. But for those who did come up with suggestions, here are the best.

"Typical man". Generally derogatory, though often simultaneously implying the kind of mild affection one might feel towards a dim-witted domestic animal. Surprisingly well tolerated in mixed company - much more so than use of the phrase "typical woman" by males.
Mike Mathison, St Albans UK

Exfoliate. The process of losing weight in micro-thin layers.
Jennifer, Auckland, New Zealand

We are pregnant. Used by American women to tell people that they (and their husbands) are expecting.
Jane, Philadelphia, USA

Manflu. Excuse for pulling a sicky when having a cold. Exclusively used by women about men. Women have there own "excuses" but these are expressed in such a way that men dare not enquire about the exact nature of the ailment.
Iain McKerchar, Blackwater

Penopause. The mid-life crisis that causes the male species to indulge in motorcycles, sports cars, new younger wives and hair implants to distract from his real-life realities and declining vigour.
Jule Wind, Maui, Hawaii in USA

Soulmate. As in "I really think he is my soulmate" or "I don't just want a sexual relationship. I am looking for my soulmate"
Peggy Foster, Manchester

Soulmate. Something most women seem to believe in but not a word I or any of my mates have ever uttered.
Ian James, Sidcup, Kent

"Profound indictment of modern masculinity". A phrase used to describe an arthouse film that is boring but that one should like because of the great reviews it's had.
Dennis Low, Hull, UK

Handbag. As in "he's coming to the annual dinner as my handbag". Men would get done for grievous chauvinism if they actually said that. But perhaps they also don't say it since it tends to be assumed that women at an official function are only there as spouses?
Giselle Walker, Cambridge UK

Shade. As in colour shades. Some men have been found to be genetically more susceptible to colour-blindness but most can't tell the difference between a coral lipstick and a mid-tone pinkish-biege.
Sylvie, Singapore

Taupe. Men can only distinguish colours like blue and yellow. Women, in addition, seem able to recognise colours like cerise and taupe, which baffle men.
Ronan Conroy, Dublin, Ireland

Team. As a verb, for example "footless tights teamed with a poncho/ballet flats/something equally inadvisable". Gah.
Antonia, London, England

Cute. It's a word women, in India at least, use to describe a surprisingly wide variety of things - good looks, puppies, sun sets, nice ambiance etc. Men here almost never use it, though I suppose in the West men use it to describe good-looking girls.
Ram, Mumbai

"Men". As in, men "this" and men "that" or even just "men!"; an exclamation usually used to denigrate an entire sex based on something done by just one man, usually to just one aggrieved woman.
Alex, London

Petite. You probably won't hear a guy use the word "petite" if they're describing a short female. They'll say she's short, or will hand-gesture about where her head ends up in comparison to a part of his anatomy.
Joy Rutter, Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, USA

Glass ceiling.
Maria Fort, El Cerrito, California, USA

Closure. As in "I need closure [on this, yet another failed relationship]"
Laura Murphy, Dungannon, Co Tyrone

Multi-tasking. As in handling work, children, housework etc in our new "empowered" age, the woman not only gets to have the babies, do the housework and cook the meals - she also has to go out to work too
Charlie King, Salisbury

Thingy. Even if a man admits that he doesn't know the name of something, he's more likely to say "gizmo" or "thingamajig".
Jody Rathgeb, North Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands

Doobrie. Here's a word women use but we never do, meaning "thing". For example, "Oh, you just twiddle the doobrie."
Mark Morgan, Braintree

Honestly. As in "give me your honest opinion but, if it's about body image, lie to make me feel good".
Lyn Howdill, Durham

Jobsharing. As in doing three-quarters of a job and only getting paid for half.
Valerie Clark, Wallasey, UK

Nourishing. As in "I find that yoga class spiritually nourishing".
Ionka, Toronto

You forgot "fine", as in "everything is fine" (which means everything is not fine).
Jem McDowall, NY

Tampon. I have never met a man who has said this out-loud (without whispering) or without being under duress to say it.
Danika, New York City

"Muffin-top". As in "these jeans give me a really bad muffin-top".
Mich, London

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Here are a selection of the critical comments regarding the original article.

This is such a patronising and deeply unfunny piece. How about pejorist or Schopenhauer or String Theory or Chaucer or the Japanese historical attitude to homosexuality. These were all topics under discussion with my female friends earlier today. We didn't discuss Hello magazine, makeup, babies, or our breasts. So let's move on a little shall we - even when we're just being light-hearted, it can be very damaging.
Anna Defoe

Can I suggest that when reporting on research showing how little men and women differ you do not take it as an opportunity for sexism? I expect an apology, but fear this is a word that journalists, like politicians, seem incapable of using. Or I am committing another "-ism" by lumping you both in together?
Robert Bradley, Bracknell Forest

I found the article neither illuminating nor revealing. As a gay man and a teacher I am already familiar with some of the words and find myself using them in a personal and professional capacity. It is heterosexist nonsense to treat men or women as unified and monolithic gender categories. Yes the majority of men have been empowered more than women, but many men are disempowered due to perceptions around their gender expression or sexual orientation. Furthermore, some women are further disempowered by other women for related reasons. Whilst I am sure you intended this as a talking point it only serves to further perpetuate gender stereotypes, which only leads to continued disempowerment of gender and sexual minorities. Please do not treat gender as monolithic and instead start to be more sophisticated in your handling of gender, gender expression and lead to the empowerment of everyone.
David M Kinnen, Coventry

I am angered and frustrated by this article. The establishment of gender equality is in no way facilitated by an article that blantently reinforces traditional gender stereotypes.
Samantha, Brisbane, Australia

At first I thought, "what a sexist article, designed at relegating men to the level of neanderthals". Then I thought "actually, although insulting, it's refreshing in this over-PC age".
TS, Sheffield

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen on this website - sexist, misinformed and derogatory to men. What would happen if I wrote the equivalent for women?
Graeme, London

I find this really offensive. You have made sweeping generalisations in this article which make men look like uncultured idiots who can't string two words together longer than "sex" and "football". I am emotionally intelligent, (although highly strung), I eat pomegranates, and I'm interested in building my core strength (through tai chi and kung fu, not Pilates, which I have heard of thank you). And I am not gay. So therefore, please be a little less rude about us in future, and don't generalise.
Paul, Brighton

The article is sexist because it falsely states that "Empowering" is a word men never use "perhaps because for the 200,000 years humans have been on the planet, men have had all the power". That is not true because evidence indicates that for most of human history women have had equal power as men. It is wrong to rewrite history to make men appear to have had more power then they actually have. The purpose of that false statement is to make women appear inferior to men which is sexist. The article has other sexist phrases. I recommend that the BBC treat women and men as equal instead of treating women as inferior to men.
Nancy Groutsis, Hopkinton, MA, US

I thought this kind of frankly daft journalism was going out of fashion, along with the adverts that show dumb men doing dumb things while women stand in the background with their arms folded looking annoyed yet patronisingly amused. Please stop herding the genders - we are not all the same and some men are not gadget obsessed emotional cripples. Mind you, the bits about pomegranates, footless tights and kitten heels is probably right.
Ben, Bristol

Men probably wouldn't use the phrase "a load of sexist nonsense" regarding this article.
Lisa T, London

I'm sorry - I know this is just a bit of fun, but it's really the most sexist thing I've ever seen on the BBC website. I don't deny we continue to live in a world sadly dominated by male preoccupations and paradigms, but what is this? Replace "men" with "blacks" or "gypsies" or "gays" and you might see it differently.
Tom, Edinburgh