Sheng nu cites studies that show that women are now breaking the tradition of "mandatory marriage" to have fewer children or marry later on in life. Other typologically similar terms that are still used in the modern lexicon of other countries and cultures show the concept has existed in some cases as far back as the 16th century. The term spinster was used to describe unmarried or single women of a marriageable age. It wasn't until 2004 when the Civil Partnership Act replaced the word spinster with "single" in the relationship history section of marriage certificates in the UK. Subsequently, at the
Bachelor and Spinster Ball dress, for example, school girls, nurses, clowns or lawn bowlers. It is not unusual for the modern B&S's to be run by ute enthusiasts following minor Ute Musters. Ute drivers at the B&S Balls sometimes perform stunts, such as driving their utes at dusk and throw flames from the exhausts and do circle work. Circle work, usually banned, is where the utes are driven in tighter and tighter circles. Food dye is a regular sight at a B&S and is normally thrown on people (even when it is banned). A B&S Virgin (a person who is attending for the first