Reblogged from Tallis Steelyard, who is on a blog tour:

I have noticed over the years that young ladies who are brought up with a litter of older brothers tend to exhibit certain masculine traits. Prominent among them are a casual attitude to mindless violence and the ability to rapidly come up with a scathing riposte when they feel they are being mocked.

Girls with younger brothers rarely gain these mannerisms. They tend to exhibit gravitas, elegance, and associate with adults rather than their brawling siblings. Similarly if there are two or more sisters, they can combine to crush their male siblings with words of lofty contempt. It is the girl on her own with nothing but older brothers whose bearing and behaviour are changed.

Continue reading at Tallis Steelyard