Spinster culture for centuries. They are the "aanissat" in Arabic, "spinsters" or "old maids" in English, "vieilles filles" in French, "zitelle" in Italian, "alte Jungfer" in German, or "dakhtar torsheedeh" in Persian. In Australia, parties are held for young single people to meet and socialize (particularly in the rural areas). These events are known as Bachelor and Spinster Balls or colloquially "B and S Balls". There is also a philanthropic group of women between the ages of 21 and 35, called the Spinsters of San Francisco, who organize events. By the 2010s, interest developed in this word as a form of
Spinster reappropriation from third-wave feminists. Recent examples include several blogs/videos, such as reclaimingthepejorative, a "Bitch Magazine" article, and the "Spinster House" YouTube channel. Many classic and modern films have depicted stereotypical spinster characters. For example: In both "The Taming of the Shrew" (early 1590s) and "Much Ado About Nothing" (late 1590s), William Shakespeare referred to a contemporary saying that it was the fate of women who died unmarried to lead apes into hell. By the time of the British Regency, "ape leader" had become a slang term for "old maid". It is often used in that context in Regency romances and