Do you get paid for this column, Lynn?

Either you've got the balls (ovaries) or you don't. Anyone can put on a skirt.

With all the ACTUAL women's equality struggles to deal with, this is the most important concern of the day??

****sigh**** Wish I was a middle-class young white American female....who gets paid to come up with witty new lexicrap like this.

It's just, you know, so fetch!

First of all, phrases like this really do work best when evolved organically.

Secondly, to my male mind the phrase "She's really got the skirt for that..." sound like it is referring to some actual physical attribute. Specifically legs or ass. The 'balls' thing works because the physical thing being noted refers to a non-physical attribute. Thus the 'skirt' phrase will I think be seen to refer to something physical.

Thirdly the attempt to change or coin new phrases just makes the creator seem insecure, possibly a little nutty about the issue.

Lastly if you're going to go for it, go all the way, as in: You think she's got the tits to go over there and kick him in the balls?

Extremely lame. Just looks like trying way too hard.

I agree with the concern (about "balls") but "skirt" is an unconvincing solution.

"Guts" is still the best alternative out there.

That's almost bad joke painful.

Around my crowd we've been using "the tubes" or even "the 'lopes" for a similar piece of jargon. It's a little more bizarre and obscure and it does point out the strangeness of associating various pieces of reproductive anatomy with courage. For something gender-neutral, let me remind you of the WWII-era (?) "guts" construction.

really. So does "balls" and its older equivalent, "guts".

Please. Slang has to develop on its own. Is colloquial speech sexist? Sure. Who gives a whoop? Don't use it if you don't like it.

Really, sometimes this column gets it and sometimes its subject choice is so dumb. The Feministing blog, which it sometimes links to, is much better.

Nope. I led with that one.

Guess some folks don't want the feminists to "lighten up" after all? ;-)

Create a phrase based on a woman's vulnerability, otherwise the phrase is another fraudulent attempt by women to make a strength seem like a weakness.

But of course, men have to be honest. 'Testimony' as a term evolved precisely because historically it was seen that only MEN had their testes on the line to be honest and to testify about something. Call it sexist, but when are women ever called tot he mat for their lies? At least guys usually take each other down for fraud, what do women encounter that is the equivalent?

It is no wonder you women cannot get traction to be trusted while also being a strong female. Others rightly perceive the typical female wiles and fraud at work as usual.

This 'skirt' phrase only reinforces that message that where it counts, women indeed do NOT have the balls to TRULY put it out there, on the line. Instead they will simper to the finish line, and thus, having NOTHING at stake to remain honest.

Sounds like what my older sisters would say to each other when discussing which blouse to wear to a party. IE: Do you have the skirt to match that?

This falls under the mott, "No Joke Too Small."

Personally, I like "balls." It seems somehow much more dramatic to talk about a woman having balls. I like to talk of Hillary Clinton as having "big, pendulous balls," which I think clearly sends the message that she can out-man the men.

Since men insist on using feminine attributes as an insult (pet peeve of mine!), I see no reason why women shouldn't adopt male slang to show their strength. Feminizing the terms weaken them, imho, while applying male terms makes them all that much stronger (and more intimidating).

C'mon, Lynn, show some balls! ;-D

especially since I found out hitting a woman in a certain spot where the ovaries are is indeed painful, thus equivalent to men getting hit in the balls.

I so wish this site had an editing feature, and didn't insist upon displaying my typos for all eternity... :(

I know I asked for your comments, and you can hate on "skirt" all you want, but if you're going to get on Broadsheet's case about priorities, well, it's interesting to me that this post seems to have pissed people off more than the fact that college students are paying $50 for a NuvaRing. Just saying! :)

Hey, thanx for plugging utilikilts. Very functional and amazingly comfortable. The only sad part is that they made me give an accurate waist size. I used measuring tape and discovered that my jeans had gone all relaxed fit on me. Depressing.

Regardless, you can carry an amazing amount of beer in a utilikilt.

On the not so good side, kilts were invented before barbed wire. Men are trepidatious at best about unhooking another man's sack. Also, beware sticks. Sticks rejoice at taking an unencumbered poke.

Back to the bright side, it is shocking how many women will lift a kilt to appraise the junk. A little pruning keeps the wincing down.

My friends and I use 'vries'

Back to the bright side, it is shocking how many women will lift a kilt to appraise the junk. A little pruning keeps the wincing down.

If this is true, it is yet another nugget of how women will tell men NOT to do something, then do it themselves, as if they are entitled due to their sex to lift a guy's skirt.

I've had it pegged correctly for a WHILE that feminism is hypocritical and unconcerned with equality.

No, I don't think it'll catch on, because it's rare that you can make an expression cool on purpose.

But I just wanted to take this excuse to let Brightstar know that I spent the weekend (running a dance festival) with a bunch of guys in skirts--flouncy silk skirts at that--who were following their bliss, being happy and sexually free and engaged with the world. And their masculinity in the eyes of the ladies sure didn't seem to suffer for it.