# Why aren't men called butterfaces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405 "2008-06-10T03:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/1 "2008-06-10T03:27:40Z")
For those who aren’t familiar with the expression, a butterface is someone who has a nice body but not an attractive face. As in, “everything is hot about her, but her face.” I’m told such people in Australia are called prawns, because they are better after you bite the head off. Not the nicest expression to be sure, but as far as I can tell almost universally directed at women. In fact, I’ve heard women refer to their cohorts as butterfaces. But it’s very rare for a man to be referred to as such. I wonder why that is? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/2 "2008-06-10T03:31:44Z")
Because men are almost universally fugly. Don’t go posting contrary pics, because you know they’re the exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/3 "2008-06-10T03:33:42Z")
“But’is” doesn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/4 "2008-06-10T03:40:07Z")
I assume you mean the joke-phrase “but-her-face” I guess because “but-his-face” just doesn’t have a ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/5 "2008-06-10T03:43:30Z")
I feel like I see more women “butterfaces” than I do men. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/6 "2008-06-10T03:46:11Z")
Interesting. I’ve not heard that term before. When I opened the thread I thought it was going to be related in some way to ‘butterfingers’. [QUOTE=cainxinth] I’m told such people in Australia are called prawns, because they are better after you bite the head off. [/QUOTE] I haven’t heard this one either. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/7 "2008-06-10T04:05:37Z")
I’ve always heard of these men referred to as “bodybuilders.” ---
**Author:** ![jaydotbeedot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jaydotbeedot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaydotbeedot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/8 "2008-06-10T04:14:26Z")
Gyms here are full of plain-looking guys (often but not always gay) who spend lots of time transforming themselves into… plain-looking guys with nice bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/9 "2008-06-10T04:15:28Z")
It’s probably a lot harder to tell if a guy has a nice body in regular clothes than it is for a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/10 "2008-06-10T04:29:18Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] It’s probably a lot harder to tell if a guy has a nice body in regular clothes than it is for a woman. [/QUOTE] No, not really… but then I’ve done a LOT of research. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/11 "2008-06-10T04:50:53Z")
There’s a young lady at work who recently made the same observation, and posited that women are far less superficial about that kind of thing. Nice gal. She’d look all right if she lost a few pounds, but that’s neither here nor there. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/12 "2008-06-10T04:55:17Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] No, not really… but then I’ve done a LOT of research. [/QUOTE] Lets test. What kind of body does [this](http://www.hotbrandclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/cristiano-ronaldo-with-his-louis-vuitton-man-bag.jpg)[guy](http://handson.provocateuse.com/images/photos/cristiano_ronaldo_01.jpg)[have](http://cristiano-ronaldo.allmyblog.com/images/cristiano-ronaldo/cristiano-ronaldo_20060710_104708.jpg) ? You can probably tell by context at the least, but just from looking can you tell beyond him not being fat? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/13 "2008-06-10T05:37:08Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] It’s probably a lot harder to tell if a guy has a nice body in regular clothes than it is for a woman. [/QUOTE] Umm.. no not really. Unless he’s wearing some tailored suit that’s designed to conceal a big pot belly, men’s bodies are about as “out there” as women’s bodies in street clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/14 "2008-06-10T05:38:44Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] Lets test. What kind of body does [this](http://www.hotbrandclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/cristiano-ronaldo-with-his-louis-vuitton-man-bag.jpg)[guy](http://handson.provocateuse.com/images/photos/cristiano_ronaldo_01.jpg)[have](http://cristiano-ronaldo.allmyblog.com/images/cristiano-ronaldo/cristiano-ronaldo_20060710_104708.jpg) ? You can probably tell by context at the least, but just from looking can you tell beyond him not being fat? [/QUOTE] I can tell that his adam’s apple accounts for approximately 1/5th of his body weight. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/15 "2008-06-10T05:39:15Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] Lets test. What kind of body does [this](http://www.hotbrandclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/cristiano-ronaldo-with-his-louis-vuitton-man-bag.jpg)[guy](http://handson.provocateuse.com/images/photos/cristiano_ronaldo_01.jpg)[have](http://cristiano-ronaldo.allmyblog.com/images/cristiano-ronaldo/cristiano-ronaldo_20060710_104708.jpg) ? You can probably tell by context at the least, but just from looking can you tell beyond him not being fat? [/QUOTE] Re your pic a thick, muscular athletic neck and wiry build generally means a fit athletic body. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/16 "2008-06-10T05:39:49Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Umm.. no not really. Unless he’s wearing some tailored suit that’s designed to conceal a big pot belly, men’s bodies are about as “out there” as women’s bodies in street clothes. [/QUOTE] Oftentimes, literally. ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/17 "2008-06-10T05:57:48Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] Interesting. I’ve not heard that term before. When I opened the thread I thought it was going to be related in some way to ‘butterfingers’.I haven’t heard this one either. [/QUOTE] Nope i’ve not heard the prawn thing either. mmmm prawns… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/18 "2008-06-10T06:19:32Z")
[QUOTE=initech] I’ve always heard of these men referred to as “bodybuilders.” [/QUOTE] No, those are the guys with the micro-genitals. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/19 "2008-06-10T09:19:05Z")
Just another Australian chiming in to say she’s never heard of this prawn thing either. Certainly women do notice and think about men’s looks, including their faces. Many talk about it. Perhaps the particular subject of guys who have facial looks which don’t compare (attractively) with their bodies simply hasn’t come up with enough frequency to merit coining a specific descriptive term? Though I wouldn’t doubt that it has come up. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405/20 "2008-06-10T09:36:01Z")
Another Aussie chiming in to say I’ve never heard of the prawn thing. I have, however, heard and used the phrase, “Nothing a paper bag couldn’t fix”! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-men-called-butterfaces/452405.md?page=2)