"handsome couple"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a compliment. Means the couple is good looking, might be a phrasing that mostly older people use rather than younger people.

I am ESL, but handsome is a compliment to a man only, so is it not weird to say it to a woman?

Have you never heard the phrase "that's a handsome woman?"

It's usually said about older women, but no, it's not a word exclusively used to flatter men.

This is what I found from Encyclopedia Britannica: When a woman is described as handsome, it suggests that she is very good-looking, and also healthy and strong. Handsome is less likely to be used to describe a woman who is petite or delicate.

It was my understanding it was for more masculine women, like tall, not soft features which is what it seems like here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a compliment. Means the couple is good looking, might be a phrasing that mostly older people use rather than younger people.

I am ESL, but handsome is a compliment to a man only, so is it not weird to say it to a woman?

No. It used to be a compliment for a woman as well. Usage has changed, but older people might still call a woman or a couple handsome. It's not an insult.

https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/can-the-word-handsome-be-used-for-women

[Anonymous]

Usually small frail women aren't called "handsome" if they are attractive; it's usually tall or really healthy or athletic women who are called handsome if they are attractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a compliment. Means the couple is good looking, might be a phrasing that mostly older people use rather than younger people.

I am ESL, but handsome is a compliment to a man only, so is it not weird to say it to a woman?

Have you never heard the phrase "that's a handsome woman?"

It's usually said about older women, but no, it's not a word exclusively used to flatter men.

This is what I found from Encyclopedia Britannica: When a woman is described as handsome, it suggests that she is very good-looking, and also healthy and strong. Handsome is less likely to be used to describe a woman who is petite or delicate.

It was my understanding it was for more masculine women, like tall, not soft features which is what it seems like here.

.


A woman being tall does not make her "masculine".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a compliment. Means the couple is good looking, might be a phrasing that mostly older people use rather than younger people.

I am ESL, but handsome is a compliment to a man only, so is it not weird to say it to a woman?

We aren't talking about calling a woman handsome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, still a complement.

What is it complementing?

You can search the entire Internet, yet you still have no idea?

I have an idea for how to spell "compliment" correctly, yes. Complement means "go nicely with" something. Those earrings complement your blouse, for example. That's a complement. A compliment would be "You look nice in those earrings."

Get it?

I was correcting PP's misuse of a word.

Now that you're caught up, you can participate in the thread. Just don't screw up again. We move at a fast pace here and cannot continue to dumb things down for you.

It's an additional angle than sums to 90 with the original angle. What world do you live in?

[Anonymous]

It’s not an insult. A handsome couple means a good looking couple. It’s a complement. The English language has subtleties like that.

[Anonymous]

Compliment

[Anonymous]

It is a compliment. It means both people are good looking and they are well matched in looks and type so as a pair they are a good looking pair.

[Anonymous]

Tricky

‘Handsome woman’ - glen close. Insult. Means woman looks distinguished but weird.

‘Handsome man’ - obv fine

‘Handsome couple’ first of all who says this but I guess if someone did they mean they look pulled together rather than actually attractive as people .

[Anonymous]

It means they look like attractive statues - not hot like people you want to invite into bed. Hire this couple to appear in your j crew catalog or run for political office.