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Old 10-May-2008, 11:56
MrPedantic MrPedantic is offline
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Default Re: a beautiful girl

Hello Nef,

1. No, it's not common usage; "peacock" suggests "pride", not "beauty"; "swan" might work in a poem, but would perhaps suggest "grace" or "whiteness", rather than "beauty".

2. No; "chick" can refer to any girl, irrespective of appearance. I would class it as "outmoded slang"; though "outmoded slang" is sometimes used for humorous effect.

I imagine it might be considered offensive because of its implications of small size, fluffiness, and general helplessness. (A "chick" is a baby bird.)

3. It would probably not be wise to call an attractive female "totty" to her face, unless you were confident that she would respond amicably. I imagine it might be considered offensive because of its focus on sexual characteristics.

Best wishes,

MrP
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