Help: the word "chick"

[quiet sunshine]

The word "chick" has another meaning of "girl", right? I saw words like "hot chick""Japanese chick" in some posts, is it a neutral word or derogatory word?(In china, if a girl is called "chick", that means she is a prostitute. )

[RockLee]

It's kind of slang I think, it's not something u use in a normal conversation :p :relief: And I wouldn't use the word in the neighbourhood of a girl :p

[alexriversan]

*****: compliment for prostitute (speaking to prostitute)
chick: degoratory term (speaking about prostitute)

also used to refer to "hot" girl/ "hot" girl's.

"hot chicken"->KFC: people use to eat out with their hot chicks, eating hot chicken at KFC. speak this out 50 times, to get mad.*

*you do not have to get mad. if you do not speak this 50 times, you won't get mad from speaking this fifty times

[RockLee]

*****: compliment for prostitute (speaking to prostitute)
chick: degoratory term (speaking about prostitute)[/SIZE]
I NEVER EVER heard about a prostitute like she is called a *****, as ***** is a very negative word.And I also don't believe when u are talking about a girl and say "Chick" u mean she's a prostitute :okashii: You might check upon your sources on that one.

[lexico]

Merriam-Webster's 10th Collegiate says

"chick
first used 15th century. Midle English chyke,alternate form of chiken
1a: a domestic chicken, especially one newly hatched
1b: the young of any bird
2: child
3: slang, a young woman"

Being slang, its usage would be normally considered derrogatory, and not considered polite to address females, although depending on context, if it is indisputably friendly, can be considered passable and not necessarily condescending such as in a complimentary setting (but only humorously, and with delicay). Would definitely be considered rude if used by someone who doesn't know the female, and not in an amorous or humorous context.

[kirei_na_me]

Yeah, I'm with lexico.

It can be used playfully, referring to your friends or girlfriend. Of course, if a guy says something like, "yeah, all those chicks want me, man", it doesn't sound very nice... :p It just depends on who is saying it and the manner in which it is said. A female cousin of mine even goes by the nickname "Chick", and has for many years. I think people have forgotten her name is really Cathy.

I've never known it to be a synonym for prostitute, though. Not in these parts, anyway. They're called by other names, none of which are nearly as nice as "chick".

[quiet sunshine]

Thanks for all your replies! :-) So it's a word that I should use cautiously. :p
I'm still wondering: is the word "chick" only used by male?

[kirei_na_me]

No, it's not only used by males.

I could use it jokingly with my female friends or anyone. I could even call myself a "chick". I guess it's just not that big of a deal here.

For example, I could go up to my friend and say, "Hey, chick, you want to go out for lunch today?"

Of course, I like saying "chica" better... :p

[lexico]

Good question Quiet Sunshine.
I had thought about that too.
I think girls can use it sometimes, but not THAT often. Only to be more casual when with guys, or just between girls. It can be a bit surprising to hear the word come from a female, although not impossible. :D

[alexriversan]

I NEVER EVER heard about a prostitute like she is called a *****, as ***** is a very negative word.And I also don't believe when u are talking about a girl and say "Chick" u mean she's a prostitute :okashii: You might check upon your sources on that one.your request, my service. source: dating site- guy says "my bit-ch"* - refers to the practice to "afford"/support a girlfriend (by directly giving money).

"*****" occurs into rap song's- chick does not- personally, never heard of into rap lyric's. at least, i assume somehow less common.

*spelling altered

[alexriversan]

No, it's not only used by males.

I could use it jokingly with my female friends or anyone. I could even call myself a "chick". I guess it's just not that big of a deal here.

For example, I could go up to my friend and say, "Hey, chick, you want to go out for lunch today?"

Of course, I like saying "chica" better... :pwith that logic, a girl can say: hey coco-jambo*, whatsup for lunch? wanna go KFC?

sorry if "Hey, chick, you want to go out for lunch today?" sounds artificial.

and, just in case, i perfer burger king :relief:

just in case, someone writes email (at datin service) "hello chick. i like to eat out with you romantically"

*decelers the word as supid*

*personally, i perceive >chick< >chicks< as offensive and primitive. i even dislike the word.

[kirei_na_me]

Yeah, well, if you want to say "hey coco-jambo, want to go to lunch", then so be it.

All I know is that I wouldn't want to go to KFC.

[alexriversan]

Yeah, well, if you want to say "hey coco-jambo, want to go to lunch", then so be it.

All I know is that I wouldn't want to go to KFC.jamebo-coco, wanago buragekingo? :wave: i do not mean it serious

*bandwagons on other people's suffering*

[DoctorP]

One might point out that the use of the word "chick" to refer to a woman has declined greatly since the 1960's and 70's.

[alexriversan]

One might point out that the use of the word "chick" to refer to a woman has declined greatly since the 1960's and 70's.i have seen some reference at dating site (by 20's generation)

[quiet sunshine]

with that logic, a girl can say: hey coco-jambo*, whatsup for lunch? wanna go KFC?

What does "coco-jambo*" mean? I can't understand this word :relief: , could you explain it for me? Thanks!

[duff_o_josh]

its not a real word, is it?
chick is a word that people use to describe an atractive girl, but never infront of someone. its not a bad word or anything but it is rude to say it to a girl directly.

as for ***** and prostitutes, that must be some weird irish slang...

[alexriversan]

What does "coco-jambo*" mean? I can't understand this word :relief: , could you explain it for me? Thanks!i do not know myself, i remembered it from a song i heard on the radio. i only assume, coco relates to coconut.

and i spelled jambo coco later on

[alexriversan]

its not a real word, is it?
chick is a word that people use to describe an atractive girl, but never infront of someone. its not a bad word or anything but it is rude to say it to a girl directly.

as for ***** and prostitutes, that must be some weird irish slang...no, rap song's on MTV. american (united states). and, dating site (UK). girlfirend=bit-ch (i assume she gets money regularily).

more friendly than chick/chicks: "*****" usually does not occur as "bitches"

i do not mean these things serious, and i do not use these two words, not at all. except today. sorry for using these two slang words.

[Apri1]

In America it's very common to say "chick" and it is not mean. It is slang though. So you can say "she is a hot chick" or "look at that chick over there" and it just means "look at that girl" Some people might get offended because they would rather be called woman or girl but it's not really a bad word.

[Tsuyoiko]

If someone referred to me as 'chick' I would be insulted. I have also never heard it used by girls - only by men who want to refer to girls in a derogatory way. Perhaps that is a difference between American English and British English.

[Rich303]

I think most girls would be insulted by the term 'chick',Tsuyoiko.
Although most men wouldn't mean it to be derogatory - like 'slag' or '*****', but it does suggest a certain lack of respect.
I suppose it's a bit like calling a girl a 'bird' which is much more common in UK,
many women don't like that.

I just say girl or woman. It always felt weird using other words and you never know who is going to get offended.

Do women have any similar terms for men? There is 'Bloke' or 'Geezer',but I don't think many men find these offensive...Rich

[Glenn]

There's the nickname for Richard, but I guess everyone uses that one. :D

[lexico]

You mean R-i-c-k, D-i-c-k or P-r-i-c-k ? :D

[Glenn]

I meant the second. I didn't even think about Rick, and I'm pretty sure that number 3 isn't a nickname for Richard (although it may be a nickname for some people whose names happen to be Richard :p:D).

[Keiichi]

In America it's very common to say "chick" and it is not mean. It is slang though. So you can say "she is a hot chick" or "look at that chick over there" and it just means "look at that girl" Some people might get offended because they would rather be called woman or girl but it's not really a bad word.
For me, that's usually how I'd put it. Mostly guys talk about "chicks" to other guys. Or if a guy is talking to a girl friend in a very relaxed casual manner. Same for girls that use it too.

Keiichi

:blush:

[Tsuyoiko]

Do women have any similar terms for men? There is 'Bloke' or 'Geezer',but I don't think many men find these offensive...Rich

I wouldn't want to quote any of the derogatory words I would use for certain men (like those who say 'chick' or 'bird') on a respectable forum like this! :p :emblaugh:

[Rich303]

You mean R-i-c-k, D-i-c-k or P-r-i-c-k ? :D

Why call me a P-r-i-c-k? You don't even know me at all.

All I was doing was contributing to this thread and people go and say things like that.
I've never personally insulted anyone here - I'm not impressed!

[lexico]

Why call me a P-r-i-c-k? You don't even know me at all.

All I was doing was contributing to this thread and people go and say things like that.
I've never personally insulted anyone here - I'm not impressed! I apologize if you took offense; it wasn't geared towards you at all. Just some minor humor extending on your 'bloke,' 'geezer.' I think he last P-word is used for males. And I don't think I would have used that at you even if I knew you. :sorry:

[Rich303]

I apologize if you took offense; it wasn't geared towards you at all. Just some minor humor extending on your 'bloke,' 'geezer.' I think he last P-word is used for males. And I don't think I would have used that at you even if I knew you. :sorry:

OK Dude! - fair enough
Sorry if I am a bit sensitive, it's just that I've already had my appearance critisised on here and I thought it was more of the same.

We cool! - Rich

[lexico]

I've already had my appearance critisised on here and I thought it was more of the same.Sorry that happened to you. I remember getting criticism when I was new, and my adrenalin shot high ! :shock: :auch: :box:
Anyway, this isn't the way to treat a new member; come on everyone, let's huddle up and give Rich a big group hug ! Come on Glenn ! :wavey:

[Rich303]

Anyway, this isn't the way to treat a new member; come on everyone, let's huddle up and give Rich a big group hug ! Come on Glenn ! :wavey:

Ha Ha! that made me laugh - cheers!
Perhaps we could all cry together too...ha ha

Maybe we could start a group therapy thread - just joking...

- Rich

[Glenn]

Alright, group hug! I'm not going to cry though, sorry. :p

[Chiaki_Kuriyama_Fan]

I better not call girls in china chiks then, but for some reason since I became...a goth if you like, I call all my friends dude(Apparantly means camel foreskin in arabic >_< ) I also call most girls chick, except my sister or relatives....

[Sylvain]

It really is a problem of sociolinguistics. Socioeconomical status, ethnic background, depth of relationship, etc. will have an effect on the way you use certain words. Depending on the group your hanging out with, even some words deemed offensive might be ok. You wouldn't say to your boss: "Yo, dude, let's do lunch!", whereas it would be appropriate with your close friends. Accordingly, the use of "chick", and even "*****" might be acceptable. It depends who your saying it to. If you are a learner of English as a second/foreign language, it might be better to refrain from using such words unless you are absolutely sure it is ok to do so.

[speedy1893]

how interesting to see how far a simple word like 'chick' can take us! i think it's a generational and regional thing as well as ethnic. like the black guys saying the n-word to one another is ok. i wouldn't want anyone calling me 'chick' but then again, i'm too old to be a 'chick' i think. hahahaha. of course, being called a 'chick' would be much preferred over 'dude.' i don't call any of my friends 'chick' but i do call those 'romantic' films 'chick flicks.'

[Limonette]

Chick can be used in a casual way that's not considered too offensive, like 'chick-flick'. (however annoying I may find that term) And some females will use it themselves. However if you call a one a 'chick' to her face she may start flapping her wings and chirping like a baby bird. So with some it may be offensive, some may use it themselves 'I'm a biker chick', but it's not a super harsh word as stated above - I agree with what the above posters say too.

[blade_bltz]

Ah yes...getting a handle of slang. I mean, some girls call each other very derrogatory things...and playfully too. Slut comes to mind. >_< Again, you won't exactly find many mature women doing this.

[Tsukichi]

Where I come from, people cuss a lot, and use ***** to describe a girl they really dislike. "I hate that *****" or something like that.

"chick", on the other hand, is used by guys mostly when talking about girls. 70% of the time, chick is used to describe girls that are good looking, or "hot". An example is one guy pointing out a girl to his friend: "Hey, check out that chick over there!"

It's bad etiquette to call a girl a "chick" to her face though, as many previous posts have mentioned.

[bluubear]

Chick is said a lot here in Australia.... guys would point to pretty girls they see on the street and say something like "Check out that chick over there, isn't she hot?"
Now I don't like the word "chick" being used to describe girls quite possibly because I know calling someone chick is equivalent to saying you are a prostitute in Chinese - that makes me uncomfortable lol

But having said that, lots of my Asian girl friends don't care that much, you can hear them talking about other girls as "chick" every now and then. And as to frequency of usage... somehow I think MORE young people here are starting to use the word "chick" to refer to girls (not just hot girls).... "hot chick" is heard sometimes as well.

I guess it's more or less a social transformation thing - you used to hear girls being addressed as "sheilas" and and guys as "blokes" here, now "sheila" is hardly ever heard (apart from being used as actual names), but "blokes" still describe guys.

edit: and yes, you don't usually catch people calling a girl "chick" to her face - unless you really don't like her or something... or may be just jokingly amongst friends

[roastbeef]

lol. this is one of the weirdest conversations I've ever come across on a board. Then again, I don't get out much....

"Chick" is derogatory somewhat in origin, but it depends on context and who you use it to. It's funny because no one I know of except for one girl, thinks its offensive in any way. But that particular exception also refers to every entity as a he/she as in "God is so good, he/she is so good to me" :-)

Can I ask? What is this board anyway?

[Lost Kosmonaut]

Usually, or at least in the US, "chick" is used sparingly. When we say it, it's only SLIGHTLY derogatory, and most of the time we don't mean it to be derogatory at all, although some women don't appreciate it.

And I don't think anybody's mentioned the fact that "chick" can also be taken differently depending on what kind of person says it.

-Usually only "cool" guys say it because it actually requires a kind of "cool guy" status for people to take you seriously when you say it.

-If you're an egotistical guy and you say "chick", people will take it as you negating the girl you talk about.

-Among friends, it has to be a word that is said often by you and/or your friends, or it will sound awkward. This is because: since it is a word that was used mostly in the 60's/70's/80's, open usage has died down. Your friends have to "warm up" to the sound of it, or if you just say it out-of-the-blue, it will sound misplaced.

EDIT: I forgot to add that it has a very sophomoric sound. Usage usually stops after high school, but sometimes carries into college/job after high school. Immature older guys use it but if you're an older guy, it's best not to use it because it makes you seem like a... well an immature jerk. Exceptions STILL apply to certain people, somehow.

[WHEATTHlNS]

Wow -

CHICK (in the US) all depends on WHO's saying it, WHY theyre saying it, and WHO they are saying it TO:

CHICK in a bad sense ("That crazy chick") isnt usually used to someones face. . .because there are better deragatory ways to refer to a woman. . .

CHICK to someones face is rare - not because its a bad term. . .but (again) because there are better terms to use. . .I have though refered to females as "what up chick" - but not often because it just doesnt sound cool at all.


Women get offended because its not neccesarily in the same league as "*****" - its just a cutesy name that shows a lack of respect or a felling of superiority on the person who says it. Its a pretty "casual" term. . .like "ahh her - just some chick". . .

In the end - on the totem poll of WORST THINGS TO SAY TO SOMEONE - it ranks (if it ranks at all) pretty damn far down there on the list.