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
__________________ ·
Not a professional ESL teacher.
· |