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Hiroaki Sone
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 32
Location: Sendai, Japan
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 Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: Beady Eyed |
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Hi.
My connotation of "beady-eyed" had always been "having likeable, pretty, big rounded eyes," until I ran into the following definitions and website:
[the free online dictionary]
beady-eyed
adj. having eyes that gleam with malice
[Random House Webester's Dictionary of American English]
beady
adj. beadlike; small, round and shining
Beady Eyed Girl: http://www.beadyeyedgirls.com/index.php
What do you conjour up, small rounded eyes that gleam with malice? I don't see any bit of the owners intention for malice on the website cited above.
Hiro/ Sendai, Japan
P.S. It's been a long time since I last posted here.
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JH7JHH/ First Class ham radio operator. N9COW in U.S. |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| My connotation of "beady-eyed" had always been "having likeable, pretty, big rounded eyes," until I ran into the following definitions and website: |
I took a look at that website, and it's using the phrase "beady-eyed girls" as a joke...it's intended to be cute due to the double meaning. You're exactly right: there's nothing there that's malicious in any way whatsoever. The humor springs from the incongruity.
Yes, we conjure up an image of small, rounded eyes that gleam with malice. We conjure up an image of someone who can't be trusted; someone busily hatching treacherous schemes; someone who is surely up to no good. Think of a rat.
It's fascinating to me that you had this interpretation of having beady eyes, and it makes perfect sense that a person in Japan would feel that way. Naturally, many Asian girls have beautiful small (and some big), round dark eyes and are lovely beyond my poor powers of description. 
Hope this helps.
dragn |
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Hiroaki Sone
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 32
Location: Sendai, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your confirmation, dragn. It really clears the fog up. The word beads automatically had given me, at least, an interpretation of big round eyes. But your example of a mouse helped me understand what it imparts in English.
Hiro
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JH7JHH/ First Class ham radio operator. N9COW in U.S. |
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