Let's stop using the terms "skinny" and "curvy"

[Patroklos]

I mean that "curvy" is an inherently positive word when describing women, which is why fat chicks use it to describe themselves,

Eh, curvy can be used as a positiove, but it is also what people say when they don't want to straight out call someone fat, but we still know they mean fat. And when a fat person calls themselves curvy, we all know they mean fat.

whereas "skinny" has historically held negative connotations, but is used by some people to describe slim, lean, or athletic women.

In reference to women I don't think skinny has ever a negative description within any of our lifetimes.

"Appearance" has nothing to do with it. People are talking about body types in terms of body fat percentages.

No, its not. You call someone on the street fat because they look fat to you unless people have ther BMI tatooed in their foreheads were you are from.

If you want to seriously tell me that Amanda Beard and Anna Kournikova have the same body fat percentage as a Bridget Jones-era Renée Zellweger, then... well... I've no idea what to tell you.

Its irrelevant what any of their body percentages are, because people call them fat or skinny without that knoweldge. The determination is based on appearance alone unless you happen to be their sports medicine practicioner for all of them.

 

[Ayn Rand]

A praying mantis? Was that intentional?

Are you sure it's a praying mantis? I thought it was just a regular stick insect.

Indeed; so whence come G-Max's objection to the use of a term to describe a body type that so many men find attractive?

What threw me off about his posting was his fixation on the term as if it was a term meant to pander to larger women, to avoid hurting their feelings. I mean, what?

Hmm... I dunno - maybe he's talking about the misuse of the term by obese women who describe themselves as curvy? Or maybe the illuminati have got to him.

 

[Antilogic]

Are you sure it's a praying mantis? I thought it was just a regular stick insect.

Ohh... I see what you did there. I thought you were comparing curvy to fat, not curvy to stick.

All right, never mind.

 

[G-Max]

That model doesn't look athletic to me, just anorexic.

Uh, that was the POINT. Didn't you actually read the post?

Indeed; so whence come G-Max's objection to the use of a term to describe a body type that so many men find attractive?

What threw me off about his posting was his fixation on the term as if it was a term meant to pander to larger women, to avoid hurting their feelings. I mean, what?

The problem comes from the fact that it can refer to women of a healthy weight and full figure, like Ayn Rand posted, or it can refer to overweight women. It should be replaced with something that refers specifically to the former.

In reference to women I don't think skinny has ever a negative description within any of our lifetimes.

Tell that to my mom.

You call someone on the street fat because they look fat to you unless people have ther BMI tatooed in their foreheads were you are from.

You call someone on the street fat because they ARE fat, not just because they look it, and if they ARE fat, it's because they have a high body fat percentage.

Its irrelevant what any of their body percentages are, because people call them fat or skinny without that knoweldge. The determination is based on appearance alone unless you happen to be their sports medicine practicioner for all of them.

Unless Queen Latifah is constantly cloaked by some kind of hologram to make her look fat, I don't have to be doctor to know that her BMI is pretty damn high.

Hmm... I dunno - maybe he's talking about the misuse of the term by obese women who describe themselves as curvy? Or maybe the illuminati have got to him.

 

[Crezth]

The problem comes from the fact that it can refer to women of a healthy weight and full figure, like Ayn Rand posted, or it can refer to overweight women. It should be replaced with something that refers specifically to the former.

Maybe my priorities are out of whack, but I don't really see this as a problem.

 

[Antilogic]

Uh, that was the POINT. Didn't you actually read the post?

Why do you ALWAYS assume I'm disagreeing with you?

Actually, that's not a bad assumption.

 

[Traitorfish]

Maybe my priorities are out of whack, but I don't really see this as a problem.

As far as I can tell, he begrudges larger women the pleasure of feeling that they might be attractive to other people. Apparently he thinks that they derive this pleasure form the use of the term "curvy", rather than coming to this conclusion first, and using the term as an expression of it.

Which is where it all falls down, really. If a woman calls herself "curvy", then nine times out of ten it means "I'm sexy and I know it", not "please dear god find me sexy". Unless everyone is supposed to refer to his opinion, and his opinion alone, before making any description of themselves or anyone else, then I don't know what he expects to be done.

 

[Mise]

FYI, I like curvy women, but I don't necessarily like women who call themselves curvy.

I also like skinny girls.

What I don't like are girls who are "in between" - in other words, average girls. This is a real problem for me.

 

[trader/warrior]

I hate these terms. First of all, "curvy" is meaningless. Not just all women, but all humans have curves. We're not made of LEGOs. Secondly, "skinny" is often equated with "bony" or "anorexic", which, of course, is a completely different concept from "healthy, but thin". We all like meat on them bones - some just prefer lean meat.

So, I'd like to propose new replacement terms: "lean", as in "athletic", and... um... I don't know. Any suggestions?

We all also have fat so I guess calling people fat is meaningless too. Same with alot of other common words.

If you want to say "healthy, but thin" why not just say "healthy, but thin" or just "thin"?

Why are the words "skinny" and "curvy" so special they need replacements? There are plenty of synonyms and similar words you can take your pick from and they all have some innate "bias" either positive or negative. Pick one with negative connotations for ugly people and one with positive for beautiful people and your weird little problem is solved.

Curvy:
shapely, fat, plump, round, Rubenesque, voluptuous, zaftig, bosomy, built, busty, buxom, blubbery, chubby, corpulent, fleshy, full, gross, lardy, obese, overweight, plump, podgy , portly, pudgy, replete, roly-poly, rotund, round, tubby, beefy, bulky, chunky, heavy, heavyset, plumpish, stocky, stout, thick, thickset, weighty, brawny, burly, hefty, husky, dumpy, squat, stubby, hippy, paunchy, potbellied, flabby, ample.

Skinny: thin, slender, I'm tired of looking up synonyms.

 

[G-Max]

Why are the words "skinny" and "curvy" so special they need replacements?

They only need to be replaced in conversations about skinny vs. curvy girls.

 

[trader/warrior]

Can't say I have run into the specific skinny vs curvy debate very often, more just general talk about body shapes and sizes. Then again I don't live in an english speaking country.

The problem comes from the fact that it can refer to women of a healthy weight and full figure, like Ayn Rand posted, or it can refer to overweight women. It should be replaced with something that refers specifically to the former.

Taking this into account I'd say busty or voluptous is the word for you.

But damn, we all have busts too!

 

[Crezth]

They only need to be replaced in conversations about skinny vs. curvy girls.

but why

 

[G-Max]

Because they're misleading.

 

[bhsup]

skinny (the feller on the right...)

Curvy

I think we can keep using both.

 

[cardgame]

I got the idea from the Minecraft forums, where someone asked the usual skinny-versus-curvy question and someone else asked "where's the option for lean?", which I seconded.

"lean" is for meat. ಠ_ಠ

 

[G-Max]

"lean" is for meat. ಠ_ಠ

It can also refer to people.

 

[Ayn Rand]

Ohh... I see what you did there. I thought you were comparing curvy to fat, not curvy to stick.

All right, never mind.

Darn, your idea would have been funnier. I've met a few fat girls who act like praying manti.

 

[G-Max]

I thought it was just a regular stick insect...

 

[_random_]

I don't see why "skinny" is such a bad thing. I find a lot of skinny girls attractive. True, some don't, but I don't think the word has any intrinsically negative connotations.

 

[G-Max]

I don't see why "skinny" is such a bad thing. I find a lot of skinny girls attractive.

Oh, I completely agree. The problem is that a lot of people hear "skinny" and think "bony/anorexic" instead of just "slim". That's why different words should be used in discussions about who prefers what body types.