Antonym of "girlie"

Status
Not open for further replies.

pinkie9

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
As the 3rd meaning of "girlie", Macmillan Dictionary says "Suitable for girls and women rather than boys or men".
girlie - definition of girlie by Macmillan Dictionary
I' looking for an antonym of "girlie" of this meaning.

For example, a young couple who have daughters but no son invite an another couple with a little son to their house. They have dolls but they don't have toy cars.
"Sorry we don't have any ( ) stuff in this house. We only have daughters."

This Wikitionary page says "butch", "manly", "masculine" are antonym of "girlie", but they don't seem to fit in this case.
girly - Wiktionary
"Boyish" doesn't seem to fit, either. Could anyone tell me a suitable word please?

(I don't mean to discriminate on the basis of gender.)
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I really can't think of one. As grownups, the same problem occurs. We still refer to women's clothing, accessories etc as "girly" if they're a bit pink and childish but there's no adjective for the equivalent clothing etc for men. Adult men's clothing can be described as "blokey" but we would be more likely to use that if a woman was wearing masculine-type clothes.

[STRIKE]I should point out that technically, "girly" should only be used to refer to people, not to inanimate objects.[/STRIKE]
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I should point out that technically, "girly" should only be used to refer to people, not to inanimate objects.
I disagree. For me, 'girly/girly things, activities, games, toys, clothes, magazines, speech', etc are quite commonly heard.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I disagree. For me, 'girly/girly things, activities, games, toys, clothes, magazines, speech', etc are quite commonly heard.

I actually agree with you. I use it in the same way, but in the first five online dictionaries I used, they all defined it as "describing a person who has girlish or effeminate qualities" or similar, none gave it as a standard adjective which meant "suitable for girls". I thought it best to reflect the dictionary definitions but once you'd posted your thoughts on the matter, I went back to a few more sources and found that both uses are given.
 

pinkie9

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Thank you.
So, what would native speakers say in the above situation?
Something like "We don't have toys for boys?"
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
"Any boy stuff" would work for me.
 

pinkie9

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
I see, thank you! :)
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
We don't have any boy toys.
We don't have any boys' toys.
We don't have any toys for boys.
We dont have any toys aimed at boys.

We only really have girls' toys.
We only really have girly stuff.

One word of warning about the use of "girly/girlie". It's rather old-fashioned but in the 1970s and 1980s "girly magazines" were what we called pornographic magazines.
 
Last edited:

pinkie9

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Thank you.

One word of warning about the use of "girly/girlie". It's rather old-fashioned but in the 1970s and 1980s "girly magazines" that's what we called pornographic magazines.
Yes, and "boy toy" has another meaning too. :)
 

White Hat

Banned
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
What about "boyish"?
 

White Hat

Banned
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Would the word "laddie" work as an antonym for "girlie"?
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
fix typo
Thank you.
So, what would native speakers say in the above situation?
Something like "We don't have toys for boys?"

As SD said, 'any boy stuff' would work. The trouble with 'toys for boys' is that it sounds very like the idiom 'boys' toys', which refers to espensive but frivolous things that men should know better then to buy! ;-)

b
 
Last edited:

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Would the word "laddie" work as an antonym for "girlie"?

:down:.' Laddie' doesn't work as an adjective; in Scottish English it just means 'boy' - 'He's no but a wee laddie'.

There is the word 'laddish', but that describes young women who behave like irresponsible young men (drinking too much, being rowdy, not showing respect eithert for authority or for society's expectations...)

b

PS The behaviour is laddish, but this sort of person is (informally) called a laddette.
 
Last edited:

TheParser

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
What about "boyish"?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Bennevis:

May I most respectfully suggest that "boyish toys" would not work?

"Boyish," I believe, refers to a quality in a male person. For example, "The Parser is 75 years old, but

he still has his boyish good looks." (OK, I can dream, can't I?)

Obviously, toys are just wood or metal. They cannot be "boyish."

"Boy toys," as one poster suggested, would work, for it's simply a short way to say "toys for boys." In fact, maybe

some purists might even demand "boys' toys."


HAVE A NICE DAY!
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I agree that 'boyish' wouldn't work. As you say, 'boyish good looks' is a common collocation, Others are 'boyish charm' and 'boyish grin'.

b
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I agree that 'boyish' wouldn't work. As you say, 'boyish good looks' is a common collocation, Others are 'boyish charm' and 'boyish grin'.
So 'boyish' suggests 'boy-like' rather than 'for boys'.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I've done what I should've done before, and looked in BNC. There are only 106 hits for 'boyish' followed by a noun. Here are the only ones with more than one hit:
1 BOYISH SMILE 8
2 BOYISH CHARM 8
3 BOYISH FIGURE 7
4 BOYISH ENTHUSIASM 6
5 BOYISH FACE 6
6 BOYISH GRIN 4
7 BOYISH EXPRESSION 4
8 BOYISH FEATURES 3
9 BOYISH FANCY 3
10 BOYISH ENERGY 2
11 BOYISH APPEARANCE 2
12 BOYISH LOOKS 2
13 BOYISH LOOK 2
14 BOYISH VERSION 2
15 BOYISH WAY 2

b
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top