Another Gender Myth Exploded!

Men talk every bit as much as women do, U.S. researchers said after painstakingly counting every word that 400 volunteers spoke.

Their study, published on Thursday in the journal Science, challenges the common wisdom that women are somehow biologically programmed to talk more -- but the researchers said people do often fulfill gender roles when it comes to subject matter.

"Women and men both use on average about 16,000 words per day, with very large individual differences around this mean," the researchers, led by psychologist Matthias Mehl of the University of Arizona, wrote.

16,000 words per day. Really? This was me today:

Yep.
For a little while.
Thanks.
Hey, *****!
Do those side windows open?
Yeah, I was wondering when your husband would be home.
If you don't mind.
Hey, man.
Uhuh.
Yeah, I figured that out.
Four hours of actual work, then....
OK.
You want me to call in the morning?
All right. See ya.
Thanks. Have a good'n! Get inside where there's AC!
Hi, my name's ***** ****. ******* said he'd leave an envelope here for me.
Thanks. Have a good evening.
No, you go ahead. My stuff is in a cart.
No problem.


That's all. 92 words. Now, granted, I was working alone today.

Oh, I forgot something. I did scream, "No it's not, you stupid pile of shit!" at the radio when NPR played some sound bite of the Current Occupant.

That makes 100.

16,000?

For a more loquacious discussion on this (and for the link to the story about the study) go to Shakesville.

And, no, I don't think my gender has any bearing on the number of words I speak.