# a handsome woman???



## Fair Light (Oct 13, 2010)

What does it mean when a man says a woman is "handsome"? Does it mean she is masculine? Is it a compliment? or maybe not.....It doesn't sound like it would mean pretty or beautiful....from the things Ive read it was a complimentary phrase used in England in the 1700's..but what does it mean today? I really don't understand it...


----------



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Good question! I'll be following this to read the responses.


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

it still means what it use to mean in England but most people do not use it. It mean attractive and well built.


----------



## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

I always took it to mean attractive too. But more somehow. Her bearing and how she acquits herself are subdued yet, she's no wallflower. Her beauty is of the type often thought of as classic.


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

If a woman looks like a man you say she looks like a man, or manish, if you want to be a little nicer you say masculine.


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I agree with billy.

Maybe today you would say she is a babe.


----------



## Farmer Willy (Aug 7, 2005)

Exactly----unless you were refering to the price of something like a house, or piece of property, then it would mean expensive, as in 'He paid a handsome price for that bit of bottom land' or 'It cost him a handsome price to have that barn put up'

If a man used that phrase in reference to a woman he probably meant she was quite attractive in his eyes and most likely rocked his senses.


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

its a polite way way of saying...you are a hottie and i am attracted to you .


----------



## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I know one when I see one, but I can't explain it. I wouldn't necessarily consider a handsome woman either a hottie, what ever that is, or a babe. Maybe we need to come up with well known examples. I like both Sigourney Weaver and Emma Thompson. I think of Weaver as handsome in a way but wouldn't apply that to Thompson. Both I consider both to be very attractive.


----------



## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

In "Next" with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore is a handsome woman. Jessica Biel is a babe.
In "Buffalo Girls" Anjelica Huston is handsome. Melanie Griffith is a babe. IMO


----------



## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

In Joe Vs the Volcano, the girl on the boat is handsome, the other two are whacks  
Handsome isn't being "classy", to me, it is having that little something else, spirit perhaps.


----------



## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

What I've always felt, though, is that it referred to more than mere physical appearance .


----------



## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

Without knowing how to express it myself, I found this;

"A woman with the kind of beauty and attractiveness that requires poise, dignity, and strength of mind and character, things that often come with age; not merely sex-appeal."

For me, that pretty much sums it up. From the photos and posts, this forum seems to be home to more than several.


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Handsome was always subscribed as a indication as to looks of MEN, NOT women/
A Babe, broad, chick, dame, hottie, arm candy and many others was used for a positive description of women


----------



## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

I thought you were a movie buff Bill? You know actors like the Duke, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and ol' Blue Eyes said things like that about women in their movies.


----------



## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

As one who hasn't seen many movies...I've never seen a handsome man, but definitely have seen some ladies I would call handsome and then some!


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

we all have different use of terms and apparently what we find attractive in a woman


----------



## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

......and then there's Maude,LOL!!!!


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

yall can have the famous ones...i like extra ordinary every day women...they turn my crank.


----------



## Fair Light (Oct 13, 2010)

So... It's more than physical appearances or a pretty face...hmmm??? I just wasn't quite sure how to take it....the giver of the alleged compliment doesn't really know me at all....


----------



## tambo (Mar 28, 2003)

Didn't Charlie tell the doctors sister that in Open Range? "You are the handsomest woman I've ever seen."


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

foxfiredidit said:


> "A woman with the kind of beauty and attractiveness that requires poise, dignity, and strength of mind and character, things that often come with age; not merely sex-appeal."


That reminds me of Emma Watson who use to act in the harry potter movies. She grew into a fine and classy young woman. She is her own woman, she has personal style and grace, she is polite and is charming, and she has an air or dignity and regality. I think she is very attractive but to call her sexy almost seems like an insult because she has too much class to be sexy. Handsome gives me the impression of having too much class to be called pretty or sexy. Pretty and sexy sound too common and inapplicable when considered for describing the attractiveness of a hansom woman. Hansom is above common. Kate Middleton is hansom also.

That said though, hansom can be boring. I prefer cute women myself.:soap:


----------



## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I've heard it said before but I haven't said it. I guess to me it would be a woman with classic beauty and confidence. Lot of inner strength. One that didn't need lots of lace and ruffles and makeup. I see a true lady, not a "bimbo".

Durn hard to express this. Kinda like an earlier post when I tried to describe what I call a Texas woman.
Ed


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

As to westerns and men saying women were handsome. Ive seen MANY westerns where men tipped there hats to men. That didn't happen. They MIGHT touch the brim of their hats as a matter of respect, but that was the ONLY reason. It wasn't as common thing to do amongst men.
Tipping the brim of their hats was reserved ONLY for women. AND it was ONLY for Virtious women, Not just any of them


----------



## catspjamas (Jul 14, 2013)

FarmboyBill said:


> Handsome was always subscribed as a indication as to looks of MEN, NOT women/
> A Babe, broad, chick, dame, hottie, arm candy and many others was used for a positive description of women


Handsome was originally applied to both men and women and meaning good looking. Somewhere along the line women became either handsome or pretty. _ "By a handsome woman, we understand one that is tall, graceful, and well-shaped, with a regular disposition of features; by a pretty, we mean one that is delicately made, and whole features are so formed as to please; by a beautiful, a union of both. - John Trusler in 1783's The Distinction Between Words Esteemed Synonymous in the English Language."_



FarmboyBill said:


> As to westerns and men saying women were handsome. Ive seen MANY westerns where men tipped there hats to men. That didn't happen. They MIGHT touch the brim of their hats as a matter of respect, but that was the ONLY reason. It wasn't as common thing to do amongst men.
> Tipping the brim of their hats was reserved ONLY for women. AND it was ONLY for Virtious women, Not just any of them



19th Century Etiquette:

Men did tip their hats to other men. It was a form of non-verbal greeting used on the streets and public places. A man of lower social class would doff his hat (off the head) to a man of higher social class, while the man of higher social class would only tap his brim. Younger men would doff their hats to older men. Men of the same age would tap their brims. It was only done between men that were acquaintances. Don't know if the etiquette rules out west were different in the 19th c. or not.

You should see the list of rules for men tipping their hats to women. As a general rule, men didn't tip their hat to women they didn't know, but there were circumstances in which a man would tip his hat to a woman he didn't know. Such as opening a door for a woman, the man would tip his hat, or if the woman spoke to him, or if he had to speak to the woman because she was blocking his path and he had to ask "may I pass". Even if the woman wasn't virtuous, the man would tip his hat, in those circumstances, because he's a gentleman, and he wasn't supposed to know if she was virtuous or not, she was a woman, and those were the courtesies men showed women.


----------



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

"A Babe, broad, chick, dame, hottie, arm candy and many others was used for a positive description of women" 

Ummm, no, Bill. Those are *not* positive descriptions of (most) women. . . . . .


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Kathern Hepburn said she was proud to be called a broad.


----------



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

KH had a quirky & endearing sense of humor!


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

nehimama said:


> "A Babe, broad, chick, dame, hottie, arm candy and many others was used for a positive description of women"
> 
> Ummm, no, Bill. Those are *not* positive descriptions of (most) women. . . . . .


 
Well, he has a good point. They are compliments. Well, most on that list are anyway.


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

They covered different times in history CB. A Dame in the 40s, was like arm candy now.


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Yeah, I was just not sure about broad.


----------



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Fair Light said:


> What does it mean when a man says a woman is "handsome"? Does it mean she is masculine? Is it a compliment? or maybe not.....It doesn't sound like it would mean pretty or beautiful....from the things Ive read it was a complimentary phrase used in England in the 1700's..but what does it mean today? I really don't understand it...


Well, since it's 2013, and I don't know if there are any humans that still speak, write, and process in the 1700's language ways......

I'd say he's an odd duck.

Inanimate objects are: sexy, good lookin', racy, fine, too fine, hot, and so on.

Men are: handsome, studly, (+ all of the above)

Women are: Beautiful, lovely, pretty, charming, stunning, striking, {+ all of the above references to inanimate objects)

*I* personally find it irritating when someone tries to use old dead words / language and then when questioned what it means, gets indignant that you don't know what they are saying......Oy, just speak the language we all understand.


----------



## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

A handsome woman is far more than simply beautiful, lovely, pretty and charming. She has an inner air, a sense of self, positive and endowed with confidence. Endowed with beauty, wit, charm and the ability to make others feel at ease, a handsome woman is rare.

When I think of a "handsome" woman I think of Grace Kelly, Katherin Hepburn, and my Grandmother who was a very handsome woman of grace, dignity, looks, brains.


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I think the idea of tipping the brim of a mans hat to ladies, FROM say `870 onward, was to shield his eyes from her. A woman was supposed to feel uncomfortable with a mans eyes on her that she didn't know well. I don't think that a man who knew a women very well, and the women counted him as a good friend, epected him to tip his hat.
IF men had tipped there hats to men as well as women, where would be the difference in the treatment of men and women? No, I think that tipping of a mans brim was his way of elevating her above the conduct he would give men.
I think that the idea of a man tapping the brim with a finger or 2 was reserved for army men at that time also. AND that it was givin to a man who had the higher rank AND estimation of the other. I think that the one higher up would do it out of respect of receiving it from another only. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't, and just say something to the tipper instead.

SAY your going down the street in Dodge, and you see a gunslinger who you cleaned out at cards last night. You go to tap, OR tip your hat, that makes your hand a long way further from your gun than him.

No, I believe men were wary of all other men they didn't know, and kept their hands in close proximity to any weapons they carried. Only those who knew each other, and knew they were on simi favorable terms with the other would tap their hats in passing. 
I think it was extreamly rare for men to do that with other men anyhow. Why do it, hes a man same as I am! He puts his pants and gun on the same way. I don't owe him anything and he dosent owe me anything.
BUT, When men would come from 40 miles away to look and gaze upon a woman , as was said in a Ken Burns Special about the old west, THEN they upped their manners, and tried their best to impress a woman in any way possible. It could be, that men also didn't want to be so close to a woman and gaze at her and fear their legs would give way and make a fool of him right in front of her.


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

...............Like all things twixt men and women there is the socially acceptable , HIBROW , dialogue of words and gestures that are exchanged , but , don't really get 'US' to where we want to ultimately , endup ! So , the ultimate goal is to endup in Bed , with a 'Handsome' woman . Is there any force of nature stronger than the chemistry of copulation , probably not . Some might consider a nucleur(GWB) bomb to be so but I doubt it . , lol , fordy:goodjob:


----------



## catspjamas (Jul 14, 2013)

FarmboyBill said:


> I think the idea of tipping the brim of a mans hat to ladies, FROM say `870 onward, was to shield his eyes from her. A woman was supposed to feel uncomfortable with a mans eyes on her that she didn't know well. I don't think that a man who knew a women very well, and the women counted him as a good friend, epected him to tip his hat.


No, if a man covered his face while tipping his hat, that was considered rude. It was required to tip the hat using the hand opposite the lady, so if she was approaching on the left, the man tipped his hat using his right hand in order not to cover his face. And yes, it was expected for a man to tip his hat to a lady of his acquaintance. Whether he knew her well or not.

Bill, the best thing for you to do is go to Project Gutenberg and search "etiquette". You'll find free ebooks from the 19th c. and can read for yourself about male etiquette and the rules for tipping hats, and other street etiquette. It's where I do my research for doing my living histories of a 19th c. lady.


----------



## CountryWannabe (May 31, 2004)

I think that "handsome" - when referring to a woman - incorporates physical good looks with inner strength. To me, it means someone who does not rely on her looks to get what she wants, she is not easily intimidated or coerced, and deals with adversity in a dignified manner. She is aware of her own abilities and has the intelligence to put them to her best advantage. She is what the French call "Formidable" - one who you take lightly or underestimate, at your peril.

Mary


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

CountryWannabe said:


> I think that "handsome" - when referring to a woman - incorporates physical good looks with inner strength. To me, it means someone who does not rely on her looks to get what she wants, she is not easily intimidated or coerced, and deals with adversity in a dignified manner. She is aware of her own abilities and has the intelligence to put them to her best advantage. She is what the French call "Formidable" - one who you take lightly or underestimate, at your peril.
> 
> Mary


 Natural good looks and does not need chrome, polish or any coverings!


----------



## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

I think to many peoples idea of western (?) courtesy comes from watching movies. I was raised to take off my hat when you meet a lady, not tip it. You politely give her a handshake. If you already know her a hi is good, or if you want to overdo it, maybe take your hat off again and give her a big cheeser of a smile?


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Same here Joe. And to take my hat off when entering a house or a room. To never put my hat on a table, nor shoes. Was never raised to shake a woman's hand, just to shake the hands of men when appropriate. Shaking a woman's hand was considered a little rude. Shaking a woman's hand is kind of too modern for me. if it is someone's wife it is best to just say hello from a distance and try to never touch her for any reason.


----------



## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Pretty is as pretty does. Handsome is code for "goddess"--as in Viking warrior beer wench sword forger. 

If I remember right, when "handsome" was applied to a horse it meant not only a well built beauty, but also the aura of capability, big heart and wisdom. Pretty much the same for women I think.


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Guess I have my own ideas of whats gentlemanly


----------



## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

..A "Handsome" woman is unattractive yet still manages to pull it off. Think Liz Taylor, the latter years.


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

A handsome woman to me is a strong, good looking lady. Pretty is fine of feature. Many women are beautiful, but unadorned can be quite plain, much too angular....James


----------



## Twp.Tom (Dec 29, 2010)

I was born in 1960(I am 53),and around here (Northern Ohio),Men are often said to be "handsome",Women ,on the other hand would be called 'Beautiful. I have never told a Lady,that she was "handsome"? :kiss:


----------



## Jaclynne (May 14, 2002)

Any of you remember the old western show Big Valley? Barbara Stanwyck played along side Linda Evans. Linda Evans is a beautiful woman, but she does not have the strength of character to be called 'handsome'. OTOH, Barbara Stanwyck was also beautiful, but with a streak of steel to her that made her handsome.
(Don't get sidetracked by their different ages.)


----------



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

right, an independent streak does seem to play a strong role in the handsome make up.


----------



## plowhand (Aug 14, 2005)

I always was under the impression that a "handsome" woman was a good stout built , well knitted together woman mentally and physically....maybe not what the current notion of beauty is exactly, not a useless,witless wonder in a Tiffany wrapper...course I've heard a lot of thing in this short life...like

"Beauty is skin deep,
Ugly is to the bone."
"Beauty fades away with time,
and ugly holds its' own!"

Granny used to say that alot!
Also heard this.....

All that mess generally fades after many years, but cuddles and hot biscuits last for decades.....:happy2:


----------



## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

[YOUTUBE]FH0RagMYKwQ[/YOUTUBE]


----------

