What's the definitive answer concerning the word "chick"

Droopy

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:09 PM
Original message

What's the definitive answer concerning the word "chick"

when used to describe women. I never thought of the term as sexist and I have used it in the past, but it has come to my attention that some people consider the term sexist. If that's the case I will quit saying it. But it does get a little confusing here when a woman refers to herself as a chick.

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:11 PM
Response to Original message

1. I don't like it when men call me a chick

But, my girlfriends and I usually call ourselves chicks-- it's self-identification and empowerering to us to exclusively use it.
I take the same stance with other gender words-- leave it to the gender it refers to to use it.

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miss_american_pie

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:12 PM
Response to Original message

2. Definitive?

:rofl:

I think if you ask ten women you'll get ten answers. It doesn't bother me, but you're probably best off not using it.

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hfojvt

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #2

32. in other words

If the chick likes you, you can probably get away with it. :hide:

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miss_american_pie

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:58 PM
Response to Reply #32

34. Not necessarily

Strangers have called me chick and it hasn't bothered me. My husband has done it in a way that has gotten him in a heap of trouble.

;)

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hfojvt

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:09 PM
Response to Reply #34

39. Many times strangers get treated better than loved ones

there's even a country song with that theme, something like 'you wouldn't do that to a stranger'.

Plus, this is the first time I have seen you use the h-word and your UM clearly says "miss". Do you care to explain that, missy? :hide:

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miss_american_pie

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:14 PM
Response to Reply #39

41. The screenname is the result of an earworm

the day I regsitered.

I'm certain I've used the h-word before. ;)

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meow2u3

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:25 PM
Response to Original message

3. I tell'em "I didn't hatch from an egg"

Do I look like a bird to you? Where do you see the feathers?

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hfojvt

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:03 PM
Response to Reply #3

38. How about a

fox then? That's another mammal. Sorry, don't mean to ruffle your feathers.

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:27 PM
Response to Original message

4. The Dixie Chicks

Oh my god...how offensive :sarcasm:

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Misunderestimator

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:32 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. Calling oneself a chick is very different than some anonymous guy

calling all women chicks. Big difference.

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:34 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. I'm just being silly

Or is this supposed to be a serious discussion going on here with strict rules or something?

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Deja Q

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:37 PM
Response to Reply #7

9. See my other response below.

I must've offended all of womankind. (now I understand how wars start... being absent minded with words combined with too much hubris on the part of the recipients, and kaboom. It does take two to tango.)

And if the same people who think me so low can come up with a decent epithet for men, I'm all ears. :shrug:

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Misunderestimator

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #9

26. Hubris. Wow... to claim that someone, presumably a woman...

is exhibiting hubris simply by being offended by you using "chick" to describe women, is pretty damn funny. I'd say that your multiple followup threads on the subject shows a lot of hubris though. :eyes:

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Misunderestimator

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:43 PM
Response to Reply #7

15. Beats me...

I tend to take things at face value. I didn't see any rules though. :shrug: :)

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:30 PM
Response to Original message

5. Here's some really "groovy" chicks I found

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Blue_In_AK

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:59 PM
Response to Reply #5

36. Hey, and here's a beaver shot...

:evilgrin:

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Deja Q

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:35 PM
Response to Original message

8. Two of my female coworkers (used to be three...) called themselves chicks.

:shrug:

That's the trouble with "political correctness". We all take ourselves so seriously we forget we all shoved a big pointy stick somewhere just for conformity sake and forget we'd all be better off if we didn't start shoving things in the first place.

I don't see why the term is so derogatory anyway...

Or if there's a male equivalent; it would not bother me.

What's in a word? Is it not the action that counts?

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:39 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. Maybe I shoulda' belted that old woman who called me....

Edited on Sat Jun-17-06 01:40 PM by DaveTheWave

..."sonny" one time. :rofl:

I agree but if people can't grow thicker skin I guess it's up to the rest of the world to accommodate them. "Chick" sounds worst that "bitch" or the "c" word now.

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Deja Q

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #10

12. I had no idea that, at the time, I'd cause such a stir!

Somebody get out the big "T" sign, some nails, and a hammer. I'll get the ladder and climb up on it. Since I don't want to assist in my own murder too badly, the rest of you can get the stones to lob at my skull with.

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miss_american_pie

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:40 PM
Response to Reply #8

11. What's in a word?

Power. Condescension. Patronization.

I can't think of a male equivalent either, and that's exactly the point.

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #11

13. yup

nailed it.

Think of all those other words that men use:

"honey"
"baby"
"sweetie"

Condescension says it all.

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #13

17. My wife's a BABE!

Anybody got a problem with that?

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #17

18. babe can be used for both genders

:hi:

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Schema Thing

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:58 PM
Response to Reply #18

33. yeah well, so can "chick"

:evilgrin:

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hfojvt

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:26 PM
Response to Reply #33

42. the dictionary, which does not tell how it got started

to call girls 'chicks' also says that 'Chick' is a name for a boy or a girl.

But honey and sweetie are also used by women to refer to men. Sometimes all men, and sometimes a special man. Vonnegut writes in Jailbird about a diner where the waitress calls everyone 'honey'. He finds it charming and delightful.

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Deja Q

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:45 PM
Response to Reply #13

19. Okay. Now let's be positive: What do you want to be called?

Have you told your significant other?

What if they comply, utterly?

And how much of it is the word itself, and not the context in which it is used?

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:54 PM
Response to Reply #19

30. Call me by my proper name-- "Ms. ___" or a formal way...

...of getting my attention.

My friends and family call me by my nickname (Gen) formal name (Genevieve), or whatever.
My boyfriend calls me by my nickname or "sweetie"-- but in this context, it's not insulting or putting me down. It's a privilege of intimacy. If a random man calls me "sweetie", I will get upset as he has no right to call me by such an informal nickname.

If someone needs to get my attention, it's proper to use "miss". Anything like "chick" "little lady" or the like, is flat out condescending. My chem lab director called me "woman", and boy, it took every bone in my body not to smack him upside his head.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:59 PM
Response to Reply #30

35. I see your point here too

Certainly saying something like, "Hey, chick," would of course be highly insulting. The context I'd encountered chick most of the time is as a feminine version of guy or dude. As in, "I met this chick at that party, and we really hit it off." Is that offensive too? If so, is there an alternative "feminine guy?"

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:02 PM
Response to Reply #35

37. I think since the use of "chick" is not to her face...

...that's quite different.
In a lot of ways, there's also problems when using "girl" and "boy". It's very very common to hear a man say "I met this girl", but less so to hear a woman say "I met this boy"-- it's a subtle cultural thing that I think emphasizes the childlike qualities of woman, and emphasizes the masculinity and power of men.
And I do take offense to being called a "girl". I am a grown woman.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:38 PM
Response to Reply #37

43. Just as I take offense to being called boy

I am still curious, is there a feminine version of "guy" or "dude" that would be more appropriate than "chick?"

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #43

44. I honestly don't think so

Which is why I just don't like "chick" coming from men.

I just use "guys"-- it's easiest.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #44

45. But women aren't guys :-)

Let's just use comrade and call it a day!

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #45

46. (I actually use "comrade")

:hide:

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #11

14. Guys are off the hook either

Call one "little man" and watch him blush or turn red with anger.

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Deja Q

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:43 PM
Response to Reply #11

16. I can't respond to this.

Actually, I know several answers, but I'd be afraid that the slightest slip-up in delivery would have you hating me. And I'm not out to deliberately get people to hate me.

I seem to do it accidentally all the time, in which case I'm better off going back to Minnehaha Falls so somebody can turn a photoshopped image into a real one.

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Crazy Dave

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:47 PM
Response to Reply #16

21. You're okay HT but you may be getting the Clinton treatment...

Edited on Sat Jun-17-06 01:48 PM by DaveTheWave

...that the right wing invented just for him. They (the right-wing) always preach "forgive and forget", "let's move on", "get over it", unless it's something Bill Clinton said or did then you never forgive or forget.

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miss_american_pie

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #16

25. It takes a lot to offend me

You, HT, could call me a chick and I probably wouldn't notice.

That's different, though, than when a male co-worker, says "hey chickie, can you get me a cup of coffee."

It all depends on the context.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:54 PM
Response to Reply #25

29. Well, I see your point

Chickie would get my blood to boil too.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #11

27. The male equivalent, almost universally, is "guy"

at least in my experience. Your experience has of course been different.

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:46 PM
Response to Original message

20. By no means is this definitive

But I've always thought "chick" was the feminine version of "guy." Ninety-five percent of the time, that seems to be how it's used (at least by people who I happen to hear). Less formal than "woman" or "lady," less clinical (and in some contexts utterly insulting) than "female." Basically the antonym for "guy."

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Droopy

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:49 PM
Response to Reply #20

22. That's what I thought, too

But there are some people who are in disagreement. Last thing I want to do is insult anyone.

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Commie Pinko Dirtbag

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #20

24. I see it more like "dude". -nt

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Ediacara

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #24

28. guy, dude, fella, it's all kind of the same thing :-)

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WindRavenX

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:49 PM
Response to Original message

23. aaaaaaand it's off to the flame-wars again!

ugh.

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progmom

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:12 PM
Response to Reply #23

40. .

Edited on Sat Jun-17-06 02:18 PM by progmom

x(

p.s. you made some really good points here. :pals:

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Blue_In_AK

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Sat Jun-17-06 01:55 PM
Response to Original message

31. My husband calls me chick all the time...

I tolerate it, although I think it's kind of silly directed at a 60-year-old woman. :rofl:

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deutsey

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Sat Jun-17-06 02:59 PM
Response to Original message

47. Wasn't it originally part of Beat lingo, i.e., "Cats and chicks"?

Of course, cats are predators of chicks, so if so, it's not very flattering.

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