Can A Woman Be Called ‘Handsome' In Today's Times?

Girls are sugar and spice and all things nice.

- Rinky Marwaha

Or so goes a famous little jingle. Thus, the question whether a woman can be called handsome, should not really arise. In olden British times, one read in books galore that women used to be called handsome if they were good looking but in a manly sort of a way. If they were on the tallish side, or if they had features which were more masculine, then they would be called somewhat handsome. However, the popular opinion is that this phrasing is really going out of style. It is no longer in use. Women can be pretty, can be beautiful, can be petite, charming, lovely and many other adjectives can be associated with them – however, they cannot really be termed handsome.

Try going through some old poems by English poets or stories by some authors – this type of phraseology did exist. Did. This is the point to be noted. However, it is no more in use is the common perception. English language, like so many other languages and culture connects, too has evolved. It is different from the English which existed even a few decades ago. Hence, one has witnessed a change in the style of reading, writing and speaking the script.

The olden style of British English………. Take the use of the word galore. Is it used these days? Hardly ever. It was a popular choice of word till a few years ago, but now one hardly finds anyone using it. Likewise, there are other terms and words which were much in use but now are relegated into the background. These days it is American English which is far more useful than the Queen’s English. The latter is seeing somewhat of a recession in the minds of people. It is considered the English of the olden times when writers, poets and authors all flowered and bloomed and went on in a poetic style about what they wished to convey.