Substitute for womanly things is a type of argument used to discredit women who enjoy "men-only" things such as gaming, programming, and so on. It relies on a notion that all women are inherently so that:
- they cannot be interested in such things for their direct value
- they have womanly needs (such as becoming a mother, nurturing something, or having male partners) that need to be fulfilled
- when left unfulfilled, these needs drive the woman to to abnormal (unwomanly) things.
This argument is typically seen in some way of "you only [do this] because you are too [unworthy] to have a real boyfriend".