"She's such a girl!" What does it mean?
datere
My dictionaries don't show any information about this structure.
Is this sentence really correct?
Please tell me if I can really use it. Thank you!
Don Phillipson
news:f4d75ddb-1397-42a7...@i12g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> May I ask what does "She's such a girl!" mean?
> My dictionaries don't show any information about this structure.
This is good American or British idiom. It is an expression
of subjective emotion -- not communication of information.
Cf. also "What a girl!" What a narrow squeak!" "What awful
weather!" and similar expressions. Some have the form of
a question, but not really its function.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
datere
> "datere" <ee123456...@yahoo.com.tw> wrote in message
>
> news:f4d75ddb-1397-42a7...@i12g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> > May I ask what does "She's such a girl!" mean?
> > My dictionaries don't show any information about this structure.
>
> This is good American or British idiom. It is an expression
> of subjective emotion -- not communication of information.
> Cf. also "What a girl!" What a narrow squeak!" "What awful
> weather!" and similar expressions. Some have the form of
> a question, but not really its function.
Thank you very much for your explanation!
jerry_f...@yahoo.com
In addition to what Don said, it can also mean "She's very feminine"
or "She's very immature." According to the speaker's view of
femininity and immaturity, of course.
--
Jerry Friedman
Evan Kirshenbaum
> On Mar 28, 6:25 pm, datere <ee123456...@yahoo.com.tw> wrote:
>> "Don Phillipson" <ey...@ncfSPAMBLOCK.ca> wrote:
>>
>> > "datere" <ee123456...@yahoo.com.tw> wrote in message
>>
>> > > May I ask what does "She's such a girl!" mean? My dictionaries
>> > > don't show any information about this structure.
>>
>> > This is good American or British idiom. It is an expression of
>> > subjective emotion -- not communication of information. Cf. also
>> > "What a girl!" What a narrow squeak!" "What awful weather!" and
>> > similar expressions. Some have the form of a question, but not
>> > really its function.
>>
>> Thank you very much for your explanation!
>
> In addition to what Don said, it can also mean "She's very feminine"
> or "She's very immature." According to the speaker's view of
> femininity and immaturity, of course.
Further, I'd say that that construct, from most American speakers at
least, will rarely be complimentary. It will either be "she's so
immature" or "she fits a negative stereotype about girls" (e.g., fear
of bugs or inability to throw a ball accurately). Note that in the
latter reading, the speaker is implying that not all girls fit the
stereotype--but this one does.
Without the "she's", you get "Such a girl!" which can be (and probably
usually is) complimentary, but has a vaguely Yiddish feel to me.
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |It is a popular delusion that the
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |government wastes vast amounts of
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |money through inefficiency and sloth.
|Enormous effort and elaborate
kirsh...@hpl.hp.com |planning are required to waste this
(650)857-7572 |much money
| P.J. O'Rourke
http://www.kirshenbaum.net/
R...@med.unc.edu
> May I ask what does "She'ssuch a girl!" mean?
>
> My dictionaries don't show any information about this structure.
>
> Is this sentence really correct?
>
> Please tell me if I can really use it. Thank you!
I'm not disagreeing with the answers you have already received, but I
think there is a broader answer, which is to note that "He's/You're/
She's/I'm such a [noun]" is an established and easily understood idiom
when the [noun] is either seriously or jocularly insulting. "I'm such
an idiot", "You're such a wuss", "He's such a mama's boy". When the
[noun] isn't obviously an insulting word, such as "girl", the
implication is that the negative stereotype of that [noun] is being
used as a serious or jocular insult. "You're such a girl!" might be
said after a feeble attempt to throw a baseball or after a daylong
shopping spree or after an excessive (to the commentator) display of
emotion. With this meaning it could also be applied to a male who has
been deemed to have done something overly feminine. Expressions such
as this one are not at all uncommon among gay males.
The form is one of an insult, but when used in friendly banter it's
not a serious insult. But when intended as an insult it may well
insult not only the individual referred to, but by implication all
girls.
Take it easy,
Ron Knight
matt271...@yahoo.co.uk
FWIW, the meaning of "She's such a girl" that comes first to my (BrE)
mind is the complimentary one ("She's a great girl!"). But with
"You're such a girl" (and, of course, "He's such a girl") it's the
negative meaning that I think of first. But I guess everything depends
on context, and, in spoken English, tone of voice...
Amethyst Deceiver
wrote:
For me, "She's such a girl" is not complimentary. It may not be an
insult but it's not a compliment either. Disparaging is, I think, the
word I'm looking for.
--
Linz
Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford
My accent may vary
shalondac...@gmail.com
> May I ask what does "She's such a girl!" mean?
>
> My dictionaries don't show any information about this structure.
>