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Sweet Rose Ramblings (AKA The Call-Waiting Blog)

A place for my unformed thoughts. Help me sort them out!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Chicks

I have a habit of calling women "chicks." It's not meant negatively, it's kinda my way of having a female equivalent for the term "guy." People who hear the word "chick" come out of my mouth are often a bit startled, then usually amused if not offended. I'm always amused by seeing their reactions. I think a movement should be started to make "chick" the official casual term for women - who's with me?

11 Comments:

At July 12, 2006 9:21 PM, Blogger Eli7 said...

I'm never offended or surprised when other women use "chicks," but it still sounds deragatory when men use it. Maybe that's not fair, but it's true.

 
At July 13, 2006 12:14 AM, Blogger ~~Silk said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At July 13, 2006 12:18 AM, Blogger ~~Silk said...

"Chicks" seems to imply "of little value". I guess used by and among only women, it may be like blacks calling each other "nigger". A "we can do it but you can't" kind of thing.

Try "gals", maybe? It sounds awfully retro, but then again, retro is "in".

 
At July 13, 2006 1:50 AM, Blogger P L said...

You wacky chicks! ;-) I love it! A woman can say it but a man can’t??? When are people going to learn that it does not matter WHO says it but HOW you say it and in what context. If its meant to be derogatory then using the terms “girls” or “women” can be offensive as well.

“Look at that woman driver!”

“She is the coolest chick I know!”

Context is king!

 
At July 13, 2006 4:21 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Coming from a South African, I totally support "chick". Must be a southern thing ;-)

 
At July 13, 2006 6:40 AM, Blogger Shoshana said...

eli7 - I agree, I have a similar reaction, though there are a few guys who can pull it off.

~~Silk - Gals just doesn't work so much, not sure why, maybe it's the generation I grew up in.

P-Life - Maybe men should learn that because most men can't say the word without a derogatory insinuation, it makes it that much more difficult for it to be pulled off. And I'm not sure why the term "woman" would be offensive, but I'm also not sure why you would need to specify that a female is driving - we are in an age today that many women do drive, just maybe not in Boro Park ;)

Adi - Is it more commonly used in South Africa?

 
At July 13, 2006 9:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just don't like "chick", except maybe in the context that P-Life said. I like "gal" better. maybe it's just the region we grew up in or something.

 
At July 13, 2006 12:45 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its quiet common to call girls "chicks" or "that chicky"....even girls call other girls that.

 
At July 13, 2006 3:31 PM, Blogger Shoshana said...

Adi -
It's interesting how different phrases have very different connotations, depending on where you are from.

 
At July 13, 2006 6:11 PM, Blogger Ezzie said...

Umm... let me know when it's okay, and maybe I'll use it. Until then, I'd rather not get slammed. :)

 
At July 14, 2006 8:54 AM, Blogger Shoshana said...

Ezzie -
You're probably safest not using it. And I don't know about slammed, but you might get slapped :)

 

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