SHE HAS A WONDERFUL PERSONALITY

A Translation Into English Of Almost One Hundred Words & Phrases Used by Sisters, Mothers, and Aunts To Describe The Human Face & Figure

 

By

Jimmy Joe Meeker

 

First Published in The Wilson County Advocate, Vol. 5, No. 29, ŠAugust 10, 1993 by Donald W. Gillette

 

Athletic (girl)

Muscular, thighs like tree trunks, great big shoulders, real biceps

_____

Big-boned (girl)

6’6", huge hands, giant nose and face.

_____

Delicate (man)

Queer.

_____

Fair-complected

Pale with ugly moles.

_____

Mediterranean

Has hair on her upper lip.

_____

Friendly face

Goofy-looking.

_____

Shy

Goofy-acting.

_____

Dignified good looks

Old enough to be your mother.

_____

Gracious

Even older.

_____

Healthy glow

Great big girl who sweats a lot.

_____

Tiny

Dwarf girl with a face like a rat.

_____

Very nice (girl)

Not pretty enough to be a threat and would never ask you to marry her.

_____

Very nice (man)

Queer.

_____

Graceful

Hard to figure; probably means bad breath.

_____

Pleasant-looking

Not pleasant looking.

_____

Girl next door

Homely.

_____

So Nice

Real homely.

_____

She has a wonderful personality

Extremely homely.

_____

She takes after her father

Big and homely.

_____

Aquiline

Big nose on a rich girl.

_____

Striking

Even bigger nose than aquiline, but not quite as rich.

_____

Handsome (woman)

Like aquiline, but richer.

_____

Classic features

Like striking, but might be part Italian.

_____

Fine-featured (girl)

Long, skinny nose and no chin.

_____

Fine-featured (man)

Queer.

_____

Classic features (man)

Big nose.

_____

Roman features

Real big nose.

_____

Strong features

Huge nose.

_____

His face has a lot of character

Huge nose, pockmarks, lines, scars, eyebrows that grow together, lots of hair in ears.

_____

Sensual features

Big, wide nose, huge lips, looks like a gorilla.

_____

Coarse, sensual features

Looks like Yassir Arafat.

_____

Quiet good looks

No good looks at all.

_____

Aristocratic good looks (girl)

Quiet good looks with money.

_____

Aristocratic good looks (man)

Queer.

_____

Dark, brooding good looks

Jewish psychotic.

_____

Cute (girl)

Under 5’1", blond, turned-up nose, 20 pounds overweight.

_____

Cute as a button

Similar to cute, but pie-faced with a nose like a pig.

_____

Womanly

Fat.

_____

Full-figured

Huge hips, real fat.

_____

Statuesque

Tall and fat.

_____

Earth-mother type

Young and fat.

_____

Motherly

Old and fat.

_____

Talented

Fat and twirls the baton.

_____

Bubbly

Fat but fun at cookouts. Owns a nice car.

_____

Fun to be with

Insane, but likes to drink a lot.

_____

Good sense of humor

You can call her boat-hips and she won’t get it.

_____

Beautiful hair

So fat you can’t see her eyes. Approaching critical mass.

_____

Cute (man)

Only a little fat, but real short.

_____

Big-boned

Fat.

_____

Robust

Fat and outdoorsy.

_____

Large

Tall and fat.

_____

Athletic

Will be fat when he gets old.

_____

Vivacious

Manic-depressive scarecrow on a diet pill jag.

_____

Delicate (girl)

Anorexic.

_____

Delicate (man)

Queer.

_____

Amusing-looking

Actually physically deformed.

_____

Rawboned

Huge, dirty person who can’t count above eight.

_____

Unusual face

Ugly in a truly surprising way.

_____

Pleasingly plump, a little on the plump side, portly, or rotund

All kidding aside, this person could get a job with any carnival sideshow in the country.

 

APPENDIX A

Words of phrases the use of which indicates that the person so described is ugly to the point of rendering euphemism almost impossible.

Going through an awkward stage.

Good with children.

Nice to his/her parents.

Such a help around the house.

Beauty’s only skin deep.

Looks aren’t everything.

APPENDIX B

A phrase which, while not directly descriptive, usually indicates a seriously dangerous situation

They have a daughter your age.

APPENDIX C

Euphemistic phrases used by members of our own generation to describe the human face & figure

Very attractive, but not my type

Hideous shrew married to your best friend.

 

I really like her as a friend

Call the zoo.