24 March, 2009

What is Big?

“Big beautiful legs…Is there a woman that would find this to be a complement?” I asked a friend on the phone this morning.  I heard this stated to a woman as my family walked down Pennsylvania Ave on Sunday.

“I can see that it could be taken as a complement.”

“Big, beautiful legs?  I don’t see that the average American woman would take this as a complement.  Most women I know do not like to be referred to as “big” in most any sense of the word.”

“I like a woman who has muscle on her legs.  Some women just have  stick legs.”

Is “big” referring to muscle tone?  As a woman, I have come to associate “big” with “large.”    Perhaps I am allowing myself to define “big” too narrowly?  My daughter refers to herself as big – meaning she is tall.  So I could believe that the man who yelled the statement above was referring to the fact that the woman might have a more muscular leg? 

I wonder how she took it?  Did she see the statement as a complement?

This is one of those times (and there are many of them) when I wish I could observe the inner working of the male mind.  What did he think would happen?  What made him say such a statement out loud?  Was he appreciating what he saw?

Honestly, it never crosses my mind to proclaim, loudly, in a public setting “Great chest!” or “What broad shoulders!” or even “That’s quite a big bulge you have there!” 

It is a stretch for me to come up with “you have a great smile” in a soft voice to a stranger in a public setting.  In fact, I don’t think I have ever said anything like that.  I might have commented to friends about some guy’s smile or eyes or shoulders or hands, or…  but never to a strange guy or possibly even one I know. 

I have been on the receiving end of comments “Great smile” and a wolf call here and there, especially when I lived outside the Shipyard in Norfolk.  Got to love those military guys who don’t hesitate to whistle from the comfort of their cars! 

But “big, beautiful legs?”

 

3 comments:

MindyMom said...

"That's quite a big bulge you have there." I'm goig to try that one out today. Lol.

I would take "long beautiful legs" as a compliment, but not "big".

People say some weird sh*t sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Big beautiful legs is a little strange, I agree. I have told some women they had a beautiful smile.

Some men like big breasts. Some like big butts. I like a height weight proportionate woman with a nice ass, where nice means fit, toned and grabbable! Would I catcall that out? Um... no.

dtwja said...

Agree re: the comments about "not enough leg" e.g., stickly. Also, the expression "Legs that go on forever" is overused, but perhaps that's what was intended.

Neither is one I'd really use in public.

And, let's remember that the word "beautiful" was used. Even if the issuer of the comment means that he appreciates huge lumps of cellulite, he does think said lumps are beautiful. Doesn't that settle it?