I’m a guy, and I never liked the word “chick.” It seems condescending, like it refers to just the “woman” part of a person and not the actual “person.” But I never hear broad, so I would assume it would be some sort of parody or just a light-hearted jab, not used seriously.
I don’t mind broad, but it does sound a little old. I like Sinatra, though, so I also think it sounds cool.
I LOVE “doll”. My husband’s cousin says that a lot. Just in every-day conversation “Be a doll and pass me the peas, please?” or “She’s a doll.”
It’s not a sexy name or anything, I just think it’s endearing.
Forgot to chime in on “chick.”
I don’t mind it a big. I say it all the time, in fact. “Who’s the new chick?” I certainly mean no disrespect, it’s just a term I use.
I happen to address women I know as Lady a lot. “Hey lady, do you want to go to lunch today?” Is this offensive too?
When a new editor was hired here, I said to Thea and Gail in my best snarly Lee Patrick voice, “Pipe the new fish.”
“Broad” is not offensive to me, but it does bring to mind another era. At my family reunion this past weekend, we were talking about my (now deceased) grandmother, who raised 3 kids through The Depression by herself. I called her a tough old broad. And she was! It is a compliment, but not widely used anymore.
“Chick” doesn’t bother me at all, I equate it with “dude,” the terms we used in the seventies. The women I know all call each other “lady” or “woman” - in a playful sort of way. “Hey, woman, what are you doing for lunch?”
“Gal” just sounds funny.
Context is everything. At work, I do not want to be called a sweetie, cookie, chick, or broad. (I have actually been called the first two at temp jobs.) In social situations, I don’t mind at all. I tend to use lady or kid among friends: “Hey, kids, which bars shall we hit tonight?”
You left out “tomato”, or as my dad pronounced it “tamayta”.
Other than Shirley Ujest, How do the rest of you feel about the term “Old Lady” or OL for short? I guess I picked up this habit from some of the bikers I used to ride with a long time ago. A few times I have said at work “I have to go pick up the old lady for lunch.” and some of the females in the office get upset. The wife says she doesn’t mind so I that is what I call her. Having to deal with upset cow-orkers beats having to repeatedly tell the story of why I also call her Pebbles. 
I believe that Julie Andrews and Dudley Moore settled this question (in “10”), and that not only was Dudley put right, but it cost him “50 bucks and an apology”.
I like chick, actually. Sure, they’re cute and fuzzy, but they’ve got sharp little claws to scratch you, and sharp little beaks to peck the crap out of you if you make them upset. And I wouldn’t know this from trying to teach chicks to fly when I was a little girl… Over something soft, I swear!
Broad. Can’t say I’ve ever been called one. It’s sort of fallen out of vogue, but not as far as “goodwife.” I think I’d be more puzzled than anything if you called me one.
How about “twist”?
[admits that he’s watched Miller’s Crossing too many times]
I wouldn’t be offended by “broad”, I just don’t like the word. “Chick” is a different story. When girls use it with each other, it’s OK (as in “tolerable”). When guys use it, it comes off as mildly sexist and makes me uncomfortable. Don’t know why.
Yes, but only because I’m paranoid enough to think you were referring to the width of my bum.
It’s really all in context/tone of voice.
Such as with doll, if someone says something like ‘Be a doll pass whatever’ or ‘You’re such a doll’ I don’t find it offensive but if someone comes up to me and basically goes ‘Hey doll whatever else they are going to say’ it seems condescending like I’m an object or a toy to them (Unless it’s a friend asking me how I’m doing but you get the picture).
As a general term I don’t find it offensive, it just all depends in how you say it.
Happy, I think it is so cool that someone your age is listening to Sinatra. My 16 year old granddaughter listens too.[/hijack]
I am an older woman who is usually careful about my word choices. But I have had friendships where we referred to ourselves as the “Salty Old Broads.” (Think Ann Richards and Molly Ivins.)
If the male using the terms is someone I know and there is a friendship between us, use of the term broad wouldn’t bother me a bit. With a stranger or on the job it would be different.
I don’t like chick at all.
Are you the kid who threw rocks at me at Daytona?
Obsidian keeps beating me to the punch today. (But I’m having my baby first, so there, nyah!) It’s all about context and intent. If you use it and intend it in a spirit of joviality, then it’s fine.
In the most basic terms, the word broad conjures up images of, as Marley said, Nathan Detroit, but even more specifically, Rosalind Russell or post 1960 Katherine Hepburn. To me, they’re the quintessential broads, self-assured, self-sufficient, lots of spunk and attitude, can wear a faaaaaaaaaabulous pantsuit (with huge shoulder pads) like nobody’s business and taking no guff from anybody, ever.
I wanna be a broad when I grow up!
I’ve no problem with the word, depending on how it’s used. You see, nowadays, when I hear it, I’m reminded of a song by Patty Larkin called Not Bad for a Broad (lyrics here). Not bad for a broad, indeed!
CJ
I got chastised by two co-workers for asking “Are you girls leaving?” (The three of us were working on a project, and they were 21 and 20.) After staring blankly at them for a moment, I said, foolishly, “but I call the guys ‘boys’, as in, ‘you boys have a good night.’.” They explained to me how men don’t have to worry about being dismissed/ignored, so terms like “boys” don’t bother men. They also confided insecurity over being so young and (the 21 year old) having the responsibility of being manager of the project we were working on. (I’m a programmer…I could care less who manages my projects, but she was damn good.)
The next time it came up I substituted the word “ladies”, which elicited a chorus of girlish giggles. What is the proper way to say “you boys have a good night” when addressing women in their early twenties? “Women” is definately not good; it sounds almost offensive. And apparently “gal” may be frowned upon as well. (They specifically didn’t like that word, either.)
Yes, it offends me. The use of “broad”, “chick”, “dame”, etc., sends me a message that the user views women as less than persons. I’m equally offended when a grown woman is referred to as a “girl”.
I don’t like “broad,” and I don’t like “chick.” I find both offensive and dismissive.
I use “gals,” but I pronounce it with such a twist to my mouth that you can tell there’s a couple of sets of quotations marks around it.
Walking down the hall to my office in the morning, I pass three other offices. First office, two of my underlings, one male, one female: “Morning, kids.” Second office, single coworker (not my underling), “Morning [his name].” Third office, two female underlings: “Morning, ladies.”