Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stevenukd]

Dear Teachers,

1. I can�t discriminate �barber� and �hairdresser�. �Hairdresser� means who just cuts hair for women only, right? And �barber� means who just cuts hair for men only, right?

2. Is �call-boy� the same meaning as �libertine�? and �call-girl� is the same meaning as �hooker�? which words are more common?

Thanks a million to Teachers,

Stevenukd

[Mallaien]

Barber is someone who cuts hair for men. Hairdresser will cut hair for men and women, but mostly women.

I never heard of a "call-boy" but a call-girl is another name for a hooker.
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[CP]

I never heard of a "call-boy," either, and I was surprised to find this definition at www.dictionary.com (spelling it with a space, no hyphen):

"Call boy (a) A boy who calls the actors in a theater; a boy who transmits the orders of the captain of a vessel to the engineer, helmsman, etc. (b) A waiting boy who answers a call, or cames at the ringing of a bell; a bell boy."

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines "callboy" (no space, no hyphen) as a bellhop or page.

Live and learn! Not quite the male equivalent of a call girl, which is good news, I think.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[missdaredevil]

[CP]

I'm not sure why some words remain separate, some are hyphenated, and some are joined into a single word. "Call boy" seems to be following the same convention as "call girl," as just two separate words.

Where did you see "call boy," anyway?
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb