This is why I think too much is being made of gender difference in language use. It is possible to see some general differences in how men and women use language (although the differences are not universal, not even within English and definitely not when other languages are added to the mix), but it is never possible to say that because somebody is male or female they will probably express themselves in a certain way, or interpret something in a certain way. And it is not possible to predict an individual's gender based on how they use language. Individual differences trump gender differences, every time.

I'm not criticising your post, BPA, I'm just using it to illustrate my point.