velma comments on What is skinny

"Not skinny" does not mean "fat" necessarily, in the same way "not tall" does not necessarily mean "short", or "not cold" isn't the same as "hot". It's a continuum with a middle ground that's the assumed "default" so there are terms describing deviation from that middle. In common language, "not" preceding the term that describes that deviation tends to mean it falls within the default range, as if they meant it fell outside the range in the other direction they'd just use the term for that part of the range instead.

In this case, the assumed middle is the range of weights deemed "normal" so fat and skinny describe those body types that fall outside that range. Saying someone isn't skinny does not equate to saying they're fat since thay can be neither (and that's typically what's meant).

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[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 point 23 hours ago (3 children)

Again, I was specifically replying to this line:

Many people use skinny as the opposite of fat, so to be charitable to the poster maybe that’s what they meant.

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[–] The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net 1 point 3 hours ago (2 children)

No offence meant, but I think you're misinterpreting that line wrong though.

When they say "skinny as the opposite of fat" they don't just mean "not fat" - and ergo are calling her fat. They are saying skinny is the polar opposite of fat.

Basically, from their point of view, if you call someone skinny you are saying they are underweight (as in an unhealthy weight), just as if you call someone fat you are implying they are overweight. And they don't think Taylor Swift is skinny at all. Thin in a healthy way, but not skinny.

Language is weird and I'm not always great at explaining things, but hopefully that made sense.

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[–] velma@sh.itjust.works 1 point 3 hours ago (1 child)

She’s not skinny though?

Taylor Swift is (supposedly) 5’10" and around 130lbs.

That is skinny. Even according to BMI, she’s bordering on underweight.

Many people use skinny as the opposite of fat, so to be charitable to the poster maybe that’s what they meant.

Here's the order of comments that I was responding to - the original comment is saying that Taylor Swift is not skinny. Then this user responds to me saying that many people use skinny as the opposite of fat. That would imply the original comment is saying that Taylor Swift is fat.

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[–] The_Terrible_Humbaba@slrpnk.net 1 point 2 hours ago

It doesn't, that's what I'm saying. Not skinny, for that user, could just mean not unhealthy in weight.

Let's imagine there's only 3 weights a person can be: A, B, C - lowest to highest. Comic is saying she's skinny (implying not C), user is saying she's not skinny (implying not A). You assume user is saying she is fat (C).

Other user says 'skinny is opposite of fat' as in 'polar opposite', so skinny is polar opposite of C - it's A.

It's confusing because 'skinny' used to mean skin and bones. I remember being in middle school and having a girl in my year who had visibly protruding bones, and when you heard about girls having anorexia on TV they'd look even worse. So now when some of us hear 'skinny' we imagine someone with protruding elbows, shoulders, ribcages. And Taylor Swift seems far from that, especially in this picture (which seems to be a bad picture).

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