One of the results of spending my time on female-dominated message boards is that I notice little things that guys don't really say to each other all that often (at least, in my neck of the woods).

For example, I'm often surprised at how often girls will respond to a thread announcing some good news by (jokingly? ironically?) saying, "I'm jealous!" Maybe part of it is just personal: when I see someone that is more successful than me, then generally my thoughts turn to myself and I self-flaggelate for my failure! Haha, weird I guess.

I guess I become envious a decent amount: I will covet something (usually an achievement) that someone else has. But I'm rarely jealous, where I focus more on the other person who achieved something, versus the achievement itself. (More on the difference here.)

Are other guys like me? I have no idea! But I can't remember the last time a guy ever used the word jealous when we were chatting.

Help me understand: why do girls use the phrase, "I'm jealous"? Is it just a saying? Is there a gender difference when it comes to jealousy?