# Do people still use the word "Cheecky"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721 "2013-08-08T16:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/1 "2013-08-08T16:14:23Z")
Because I love this word. I don’t know why, I just do. I’ve never actually heard the word used here in the States. I do wonder though, if it’s used across the the pond. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/2 "2013-08-08T16:17:57Z")
I think it is still in general use in the UK, possibly also Ireland and Australia. I believe it’s spelled “cheeky”? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/3 "2013-08-08T16:21:55Z")
I do. Anybody that does something stupid in front of me in traffic without actually putting me in danger is automatically a “cheeky bastard”. ---
**Author:** ![TravellingBarman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@TravellingBarman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravellingBarman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/4 "2013-08-08T16:22:29Z")
We certainly do still use it over the pond 🙂 As in ‘Don’t be so cheeky!’ Or; ‘Oi! Cheeky!’ 'Tis a pleasant rebuke or grudging endearment. I like it too. Barman ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/5 "2013-08-08T16:23:15Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > I think it is still in general use in the UK, possibly also Ireland and Australia. > > I believe it’s spelled “cheeky”? You’re right about the spelling. No idea why I did that. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/6 "2013-08-08T18:07:47Z")
I often use it to describe monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/7 "2013-08-08T18:44:49Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > I often use it to describe monkeys. +1 ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/8 "2013-08-08T18:59:54Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > I often use it to describe monkeys. Or Kim Kardashian. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/9 "2013-08-08T19:02:37Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > I often use it to describe monkeys. [Heh](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626498&highlight=cheeky+monkey) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/10 "2013-08-08T19:39:14Z")
I’ve heard it in the states, but it’s a been a while (unless you count the monkeys mentioned above). Someone said it when I was being a smart alec. Which is another term I wonder if people use anymore. I more often hear “smartass.” I guess that makes sense, considering the origin is an [actual guy named Alec](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1937/whats-the-origin-of-smart-aleck), a conman from a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/11 "2013-08-08T23:55:46Z")
Mischievous littlies are ‘cheeky monkeys’. My husband, doing something he knows he shouldn’t do to push my buttons, but not anything seriously bad (for example, taking a piece of cheese from the pile I have cut up for cooking with, rather than cut a bit from the block) is a ‘cheeky bastard’. Australia ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/12 "2013-08-09T15:13:57Z")
That’s what I call my dog! She came to me with the name “Chica” which I couldn’t quite bring myself to use, hence or thence: Cheeky! ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/13 "2013-08-09T18:00:13Z")
I probably use it daily, but then I do have a toddler. And a boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/14 "2013-08-09T18:10:56Z")
[Cheeky Bastard.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV5yDIAzyWU) ---
**Author:** ![Peaton\_of\_peat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecae2f/32.png) [@Peaton\_of\_peat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peaton_of_peat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/15 "2013-08-09T19:39:17Z")
I’m probably the only person on Earth who does this, but I’ve started calling chickadees “cheeky garglers” because they’re cheeky both in attitude and in having cheeks. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, though. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/16 "2013-08-09T22:48:46Z")
If you mean “cheeky”, yes, I do use the word. I like the word. I enjoy feeling cheeky myself. I wrote a piano piece and I wrote into the piece that it’s to be peformed in a cheeky manner. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-still-use-the-word-cheecky/665721/17 "2013-08-10T11:15:16Z")
Its used quite lot in prison to describe someone who is constantly tapping other prisoners for items, especially when they have no intention of repaying. It is not usually a good thing to be described as cheeky in prison.