Yes, I was trying to go with multiple generations. They are characters from a short-lived TV show, Firefly, who were also in a film called Serenity. Good stuff, if you like Sci-Fi with the sensibility of a western.
And I agree with you on Hepburn, so maybe we are somehow related.
Inara and Kaylee From *Firefly *and Serenity.
I agree with pretty much everything here, including the contradictory stuff! In addition, “cute” connotes “approachable and capable of having a good time”. Pretty doesn’t. Even those pictures of the actresses in character reflects that.
The occasional “cute” picture of Inara is all wrong. That’s NOT her character, that was a weak moment during a photo shoot. The actress, obviously, is one of those women who can be either cute or pretty, depending on her demeanor, not her looks.
I hate being called either one, since I feel there are other words so underused and much more suitable to a 32-year-old woman. Cute is for children and teenagers, pretty is what you call your daughter, or your son’s girlfirend.
Being grown, I appreciate a man who can say I look lovely, gorgeous, smashing, etc if I take the time to dress up and groom myself. My favorite ever compliment: a guy I used to date once yelped “Nurse!” and fell over the leg of the couch.
Use your imagination, fellas!
Hrm. Double post
Heh, I’m almost 36 and I don’t mind being called “cute” at all. 
In fact, it’s how I choose to describe myself: I simply don’t have the bone structure for “pretty,” but I’m cute as hell! 
Since all you geeks are using Firefly I’m using Flight of the Conchords
Pretty: http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Events/5065/RachelBlan_Grant_10004034_400.jpg
Cute: http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload/13140/New%20Folder%202/c18.jpg
And a still-shot never really does “cute” justice. “Cute” is about personality and movement and body language more than just the look of the face/body.
The word used most often to describe me is cute. I mean, far above all others, although sarcastic, bratty (jokingly), fun, odd, pretty, sexy and others are (sometimes) used. As much as “cute” is something I whine about, it’s something I’ve cultivated. It’s a personality thing.
I’m spontanious, I’ll sing in the car (or at work if there’s a good song on), dance in my underwear in the kitchen, run on the streets in heels cause I see something I want to know more about, I let my whole face light up when I’m excited about something (instead of downplaying it). I have no qualms about pouting… a little. I giggle, I’ll raise my eyebrow at you, and make other faces. If I stumble, or walk into a pole, I’ll laugh it off.
Other stuff too, but I’m pretty sure all these things add up to me being “cute”, and I use it to my advantage, to try and be endearing, and almost all my friends and guys I’ve dated have used it to describe me.
I think you’re right, and why “cute” is often conflated with “childlike”. Outgoing exuberance and, as you put it, not downplaying your emotions, are things we associate with children, since so many of us start hiding those things as we age.
For me, I associate “pretty” as someone who has physical features that I acknowledge as generally attractive, but overall does nothing personally for me.
“Cute” means that in addition to being pretty, there’s something about her that makes me want to be around her/get to know her/make a move with her in a way that someone who’s just “pretty” doesn’t.
Personally, I think both terms are positive ones, so it doesn’t much matter which you use. But I do agree that I’d use them to describe two different things.
Cute=pretty but I don’t want to sleep with you.
Sexy=pretty and I do want to sleep with you.
Beautiful=pretty and I want all my friends to see us together.
Yeah, it sucks. 30 years of being cute talking here.
Someone in one of these threads once posted an excerpted conversation (from a sitcom?) where a female character unpacks all these terms. Something along the lines of “Cute is pretty with a small nose, and short. Striking is pretty with a big nose. Statuesque means tall with big tits.” And it went on from there, turning adjectives not normally considered to be very specific into highly specific descriptors, and it was funny because it did kind of match up with how you hear the words used.
My friends and I have a diffrent view on cute vs. pretty. Basically they are not opposed the way we’ve worked our rating scales and most guys i’ve talked to agree is that there are two type of pretty; cute and beautiful. Some guys think there should be more type exotic and what not but I’ve always used two.
Inside those types girls get rated on the basic 1-10 of ugly to pretty. I know I’m shallow and what not but I also don’t date 10s so I’m sure it balances out somewhere. Any how the top end of beautiful are the high cheek bones and your basic runway models and the top end of cute IMO are the drew barrymore’s and the round face freckled types. Either type can be a 10 or pretty or hot or what ever you want to call them.
This isn’t about getting myself rated by Dopers, but here’s a picture of me as Medusa for Halloween.
Also, I’m 5’4" and skinny, which doesn’t help.
Anyway, this is all very interesting and is making me feel better about being cute. Carry on.
Definitely cute. But you need to do something about that hair…
You are totally adorable in this one:
I also like the mudwater one (or whatever you called it). I think I’d classify you as “cute”. And I mean that in a totally cool way. Of course, I’m a chick - and a straight one at that - so take it for what it’s worth. 
“Cute” can mean many things. I use it to describe people or things that trigger a protective response. (Babies and puppies) In adult women, to me, it would imply a youthful and/or squareish face, and probably short. I don’t really use “pretty;” I suppose it would be a lower level of “beautiful.”
For reference:
Cute
Beautiful
