# Opposite of Tomboy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261 "2001-09-01T05:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/1 "2001-09-01T05:17:52Z")
Well, lately I’ve been researching/reading more and more into gender stereotypes and such, and wondered if there is any word that would describe the reverse of this, namely a male child that has more feminine tastes. The search on this came up with a similar thread, but not this question. (Note that a more degrading word, such as “sissy” isn’t really what I am looking for.) ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/2 "2001-09-01T05:34:44Z")
Nancy Boy? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/3 "2001-09-01T05:39:49Z")
There really is no such word. Any attribution of female characteristics to a male is always insulting in our culture. “Sissy” is the word you are looking for, but it is always insulting. Females with male characteristics are good, males with female characteristics are abominations. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/4 "2001-09-01T05:51:08Z")
He’s “musical” ---
**Author:** ![Heath\_Doolin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Heath\_Doolin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heath_Doolin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/5 "2001-09-01T05:55:10Z")
Richard Simmons _Tiddy-boom_ ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/6 "2001-09-01T06:23:19Z")
Quoth, Lemur866 “Any attribution of female characteristics to a male is always insulting in our culture” Aww Cah Caw. Ever heard of a “sensitive” man? ---
**Author:** ![straykat23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@straykat23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straykat23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/7 "2001-09-01T06:54:54Z")
‘Tomboy’ is a word I haven’t heard used for at least three decades. It was popularly used to identify girls who preferred boys’ sports rather than dolls and ‘girls’’ games, or later to identify girls who preferred wearing jeans and pants rather than dresses. I think that the last time I heard it used seriously was in the Fifties. It’s a rather meaningless term today, given that girls are usually welcome in most sports (with some exceptions, of course) and dress as they please. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/8 "2001-09-01T08:50:21Z")
Though I haven’t heard people use the term Tomboy when refering to other people much, I DO still hear it when people reference themselves or their friends, so to my knowledge, it is still in use… ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/9 "2001-09-01T10:08:32Z")
A silly quote from, straykat23 “‘Tomboy’ is a word I haven’t heard used for at least three decades” At least since since 1971 huh? I beg to differ I heard the term used yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/10 "2001-09-01T10:11:35Z")
I’m less than two decades old and I’ve heard it my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/11 "2001-09-01T10:19:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EvilGhandi \* > \*\*Nancy Boy? \*\* the 1st response is the best ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/12 "2001-09-01T12:31:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jinxie \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by EvilGhandi \* > > \*\*Nancy Boy? \*\* > > the 1st response is the best \*\* Yes, and it has strictlly negative connotations. I’ve never seen this word used in a positive context. My cousin from Australia told me that this specifically refers to gay men, but I’m not entirely certain this is correct. Anyway, I think this confirms that feminine attributes are considered socially unattractive in a man. I don’t mean that we should find them unattractive, just that in general they are considered unattractive. ---
**Author:** ![JohnW77707](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JohnW77707](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnW77707)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/13 "2001-09-01T12:40:48Z")
Read the question and “Nancy Boy” (or just “Nancy”) came to mind immediately. ---
**Author:** ![JohnW77707](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JohnW77707](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnW77707)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/14 "2001-09-01T12:42:10Z")
Indeed, isn’t there a radio commercial right now for Cingular Wireless where there’s a baseball fan screaming at a pitcher (and it is being “translated” by a machine) where one of the things said is “Why don’t just underhand it in there, Nancy?”. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/15 "2001-09-01T14:32:01Z")
[snl] Girly-man! [/snl] There probably isn’t a good one, the same way there’s not good female counterpart to “P-whipped”. ---
**Author:** ![struct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@struct](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struct)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/16 "2001-09-01T16:34:16Z")
IMHO I’d have to say “Nancy” would be the best antonym for “Tomboy”. “Nancy” has negative connotations, sure, but I would guess that back in the day, “Tomboy” wasn’t too complimentary either. I’d imagine that the modern equivalent of “Tomboy” would be “Diesel Dyke”. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\* > There probably isn’t a good one, the same way there’s not good female counterpart to “P-whipped”. \*\* Sure there is! “C\*\*\*-whipped”! 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/17 "2001-09-01T16:47:47Z")
how about Mama’s boy - Ive heard this many times but have to admit I don’t fully understand what exactly it means. ---
**Author:** ![Doughboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Doughboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughboy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/18 "2001-09-01T16:56:51Z")
How about fop? ---
**Author:** ![struct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@struct](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struct)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/19 "2001-09-01T16:59:17Z")
Thought of another one: “dandy”. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261/20 "2001-09-01T17:05:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by struct \* > \*\*Thought of another one: “dandy”. \*\* Nah, a Dandy is just an old-fashioned term for a man who prides himself on his appearance. While he may spend more mirror time than many women, it doesn’t imply any truly feminine characteristics. Also, I have to disagree with the idea that tomboy is an entirely positive idea. I’ve not always heard it used in a positive light, especially by the mother of the girl in question. And it does see frequent use today, I’m only 25 and I’ve heard it used my entire life. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-of-tomboy/79261.md?page=2)