GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, now THIS phrase I hate and find offensive. It’s so very devoid of not only attraction, but any meaning whatsoever. This is the sort of thing you say to the little old ladies in your church congregation when they show up in a new hat.
When a man says to me “you look nice” I am NOT impressed at all. It is just so impersonal and sterile. To me, (and I’ll bet a Mexican dinner I’m not the only woman who feels this way), all it means is “you look cleaned up and well-dressed”. It says nothing about you or your hotness (or lack thereof).
Cute is a perfectly good word, I like it and would be flattered if a man said that to and about me.
Lisa: Alright, look I did not ask for the stupid award.
Beth: If I were you I’d be upset too. I mean you? Cute? Come on.
Lisa: I am not entirely uncute. I… I… Why are you being nasty about this?
Beth: I’m not being nasty. You’re pretty. You’re very pretty in fact. But cute, I don’t think so.
Lisa: Well I wasn’t aware there was a difference.
Beth: Well of course there is a difference. Pretty means pretty. Cute means pretty but short and/or hyperactive - like me.
Lisa: Uh huh. What is beautiful?
Beth: Beautiful means pretty and tall.
Lisa: Gorgeous?
Beth: Pretty with great hair.
Lisa: Striking?
Beth: Pretty with a big nose.
Lisa: OK, you’re making this up.
Beth: That’s ridiculous, why would I make it up?
Lisa: Voluptuous?
Beth: Pretty and fat.
Lisa: Sexy?
Beth: Pretty and easy.
Lisa: Exotic?
Beth: Ugly
Male here:
I tend to use cute for features, i.e. someone may have a cute smile, or act cute (and this doesn’t necessarily mean babyish or childlike, someone can be a foul-mouthed little runt and be cute by the way the word it or what they’re getting flustered about). Very rarely would I call a grown person cute, because my definition of someone wholly cute means they pretty much means they trump hot and sexy, i.e. they have sex appeal but they have something EXTRA there too that makes me kind of connect to them and make me smile whenever I see them, instead of just raw physical attraction (not that hot or sexy means I ONLY like their looks, I have friends that are definitely “hot” and I like their personality, they just don’t have some extra, indescribable features that makes my cute label trigger).
If I’m NOT talking about someone like that though it will usually be a small child, a puppy, or some article of clothings. My only other use of “cute” is someone who’s either really easily frustrated or making a laughable futile attempt at arguing or pissing you off (i.e. a really bad troll on the intarwebz.)
Woman: You never compliment me!
Man: I said you looked nice.
Woman: (See above)
Man: OK, but I said you were cute, too!
Woman: Don’t patronize me!
Man: I’m sorry, I thought it was a good thing! I told you you were hot!
Woman: What am I, a sex object?
Man: No, it isn’t that.
Woman: You bastard!
Man (lying): You know you’re beautiful!
Woman: Yeah, right.
Man: OK, I’m going to go slash my wrists.
Woman: Don’t use the good cutlery.
And the woman, who constantly complains that they never talk, doesn’t even THANK him for his efforts!
Canvas, why are you only willing to bet against Mexicans? :dubious:
