Poll: the word "chick"?

[Cap'n Ninja]

I have no qualms with it being used, but I don't particularly like guys talking about chicks as a collective term. That feels a little derogatory, but most other uses of it I'm fine with. When talking about multiple females, I find it funniest for guys to put on a New York gangster style drawl and call them "Molls" or "Dames"
The 50's was where it was at, kids.

Personally, I'd rather not be called a chick, solely for the reason I think dudette sounds funnier, but if someone says "Dude, you have to see this" I won't object.

 

[Firia]

Chick rides a fine line.

I use "chick" in a trendy fashion among fellow girlfriends. "I'm an Art Chick," or "total gamer chick." But the moment someone uses it not as an adjective, like, "you're that chick," or "you're a mighty fine chick," then I get ticked a little.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

I don't find chick to be a sexist or objectifing name for a woman. Guys are called dudes and thats another name for a cow. So if guys are cows then i don't see any problem with calling woman chicks.

 

[LHZA]

I was unaware it was an offensive term. Really? I'm a chick and I use the term. What's so bad about it?

 

[uchi mata]

I didn't even know "chick" was an insult I use it all the time and no one seems to care.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

I use it, but I usually use the term Broad more often

 

[Aesir23]

I don't get how the word "chick" would be offensive at all. I don't use it in my every day vocabulary, but I couldn't care less if someone else used it.

 

[moretimethansense]

I don't personaly use it as I prefer the term "lass" or "babe" but I think like with most words it's only offensive if the person it's used against feels it is.

Also I never understood the hetred of the word "babe" to me it's a term of endearment, hell I use it to refer to my male freinds all the time.

Fun Fact: I had a tutor that would refer to me as a "chick" and I'm a guy, also used were "chick-a-dee" and "chico".

 

[Crowser]

I'm a dude, and you're a chick.
Nothing to get upset about, not derogatory at all =)

 

[Random Fella]

If you call a chick woman I think she will get a bit more annoyed than if you called her chick.
As in,
"Hey, woman"

 

[Treblaine]

I consider it no more offensive than calling a guy "dude", that is it is very informal and I wouldn't call a female judge a "chick" nor a male judge a "dude", not to their face at least.

 

[Thanato5]

women are not chicks... they are birds at least in the UK

 

[Evilsanta]

I rarely use it.

Though i can't see why it is offensive.

 

[FrostyChick]

I think my username about sums up my feelings on the subject.

But then again, I am a believer that context, not content, is what makes something offensive. >.>
And anyone who says differently deserves a slap. -.-'

 

[Vykrel]

i use it a lot, but not in front of a girl. i dont point at them and say "that chick" or anything like that.

imo, its the same as if a girl calls a guy "dude". no problem with it

you know what i really hate? i hate that when some girls in school dont know your name and they need something, they say "Hey, kid..." i cant stand that. it just sounds so snooty

 

[MassiveGeek]

Why the heck would it be offensive?
I am chick. And personally I don't see an issue with it. Just like guys are refered to as "hunks" and stuff.
It's just a word, and it's not even used in context of being an insult from what I've ever seen. Stop whining, for christs sake(refering to people who react strongly to words like this).

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I don't use it because I use 'bird' instead.

Whenever someone tries to correct me I switch to the far more misogynistic 'gash'... of course why people try to correct me on that when I use '****' as a replacement for 'person' is beyond me.

Awww, you're so cute and endearing when you're angry. I just want to pet you.

That would work better if you posted it after something where I was angry.

And I'm always cute and endearing.

 

[Denamic]

It's the equivalent of 'dude'.
I don't see why it would be offensive.

 

[Labyrinth]

What's your opinion on the use of the word to referr to a girl?

"Girl" is a very specific type of female of the human species, namely aged between 3 and 12. The top number is variable depending on the subject in question. As for the word itself, I find it inherently irritating. A lead up to "Hen", really, but made to be patronising because of the juvernile part.

My problem with the bird analogies, this includes "bird" itself, is that they always carry connotations of bird-brained silliness. Not to mention pecking orders. I can't say I like associating these with women, of whatever age.

It's not offensive. anyone who is "offended" by being called a chick, is just a feminist out of control looking for a reason to argue and spout her feminist rant. A word is nothing more than a vocal medium to convey meaning, therefore it is the meaning which is important, not the word used to convey that meaning. Considering that most people use "chick" to mean a woman, therefore, it is no more offensive than the word woman. If it is used to convey a condecension, or an insult, then that meaning is offensive, but this is not a condemnation of the word in general. many "politically correct" words can be used mockingly or as an outright insult, that doesn't mean that the word is itself insulting.
Words are very much like ideas in that the only people who fear them are small minded people.

Is that so, pig?

I mean, you won't mind me calling you that. It's just a word, isn't it? Just a vocal medium to convey meaning. I can't see any pig who uses 'chick' to refer to women having an issue. I only mean it as a generalised word for 'male human'. That okay with you pigs?

What words mean is inherently linked to their connotations. This is why "******" has become an insult rather than referring to a piece of wood. We don't call men "baby", or at least no woman I know does. We don't call you.. I don't know, I don't think 'pig' is a suitable slang comparison to 'chick', because while it has connotations of filth and gluttony, pigs are actually very intelligent creatures. I detailed my issues with chick above. Perhaps you could consider them a reasoned opinion and consider why we have an issue with it rather than simply dismissing our concerns.

I also think it's quite telling that we don't have similar slang for men. "Guys" doesn't have negative connotations, unless you consider an effigy burnt at the stake of Guy Fawks. Hmmm...

Edit: It's worth adding that I dislike words like "chick" and "dude" because they sound so horribly juvenile to use. Unless it's "chick" in reference to a baby bird, anyway.

 

[5mj7R7yf4Dwr3gdZyyu9PeGNwYjlNrjzuh3iTXQG]

Chick originally was slang for child, was picked up in the late 1920s to mean a young woman, and made cool by Beatniks in the late '50s. Considering its common in rural cultures for animal terms to be used to describe humans (usually ones that share a similar quality), it probably is far less derisive than than is assumed in the current era.

Myself, being one who is rather pedantic, when I refer to a chick, I'm usually referring to an incidence of The Smurfette Principle [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheChick].