Being called "thick" a compliment??

I was recently called "thick" by a friend of mine- male. To him, this was not a put down - it just means that I have meat on my bones. To me, a girl who has been struggling with weight since I can remember- its a put down. I'm not thin- and don't expect people to lie and say I am.. I'm okay with that- I thought a better way to describe me would be "average".. for some reason- thick really hurt my feelings and he may as well have called me fattie. 

I was upset about it all day and he tried to convince me it wasn't a put down ( BTW- I'm 5'7 and weigh 156- and I would say average build- athletic body type). My husband misunderstood why I was upset- thinking I was mad about WHO it came from and not what was actually said. I tried to explain that it wasn't that it was HIM, it was that it was thought and said- which means to some people out there I'm a thick girl.

So what does everyone think of the "thick" description?

well, i don't like it and would be offended probably.

But I'd prefer it to be used to describe my body than my brain!!!!

Although I would agree that "thick" may not be the smartest thing to say as it could be conceived and meaning "fat," I doubt it was meant as such, "thick" usually refers to muscle, not fat. Besides, having some "meat on your bones" is a good thing, I think.

Yeah I'm not a big fan of the word thick either. I said something to my boyfriend the other day about how he hadn't seen me when I was at my highest weight. And he was like "I've seen pictures from when you were thicker, I mean thick...". Yeah that wasn't the best thing to hear. LOL.

i guy once said to me..."i like my women like my milkshakes--so thick you need two straws"..

...he did not get my number.

i was offended, i think he meant it as a complement but in my perception thick=opposite of thin, opposite of thin=fat. thats my mentality behind the word.

Krenren77- My jaw just dropped at your comment. What a quality guy.. You let him get away?? Ha!

You said exactly what I'm thinking: thick is the opposite of thin, opposite of thin=fat. 

I don't think a person 5'7 and 156 is "thick". I want to be 156-150 that's my goal and I would be mad if after reaching that goal someone said I was thick.

Six years ago, I was in San Francisco, I had very large muscular runners legs at the time, and was wearing shorts. A man whistled and cat-called at me, and then said I was hot, and that I had "thick"legs, and i was a little taken aback, but he's right I do have thick legs (right now they just look fat), and when they are toned, they actually look pretty good...my muscle structure will never let me be super lean, but I can be muscular and  look great...so take it as a compliment.  Men have strange ways of complimenting....so if he thinks thick=good, then take it as that.

It's not an insult. At worst it's a neutral description for a larger person, at best it's a compliment.

Ouch, I'm 5'7", I was 157 at my highest, down to 150 now.  I wouldn't have ever expected someone to call me "thick" even at 157!  Maybe a bit chubs or something... Man..

Maybe he's only dated sticks?

I know thick is a complement, but I still would have never thought I'd fit into that.

One of my b/f's new friends said to him privately that he was SHOCKED a girl THAT SMALL, could eat that much pizza XD.  I can put away food that is for sure.  I ate 7 out of the 8 pieces from a large we got.  I was hungry T_T;

WHOA!! Same thing happened to me chloe! My husband said that he and a friend were talking about what they think is attractive and he said they said 'thick' and my husband told him 'like my wife'- he was so trying to give me a compliment (like you said- healthy, strong, 'meat on bones), but that is the LAST thing I wanted to be called and it made me upset. I am currently 5'4" and a fit 130lbs. I know i will never be rail thin- it wouldn't look right on me anyways- but, I would prefer some other word. Thick, to me, does not have the connotations that i want.

I am over it, as i know what he was getting at...he likes the way Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Beil look and he said he considers them "thick"...so, if I am in the same category as them in his mind, I know he was trying to be sweet =). I just asked him to maybe use 'fit' next time...ha, ha!

PS...at 5'7" and 156, I am sure you look fantastic =) I wish I had that height!!

how about this one:  "sturdy"

One of my very good friends used to get this from her father and she HATED it!  I can completely see why!  I could imagine someone actually calling me sturdy! Someone would probably get a good punch!

Hmm, I'd rather be called thick than fat anyday.

Funny story...
Here, "thick" has a totally different meaning.
When I first met my husband , we somehow got on the topic of his ex. He described her as thick, and not in a good way.

I was like "crap, I'm thick! This isn't good"
But he meant it like , dumb and crazy, which I am not. lol

 
It was quite a relief and still a funny story with my girlfriends. :)

i really think of somebody dumb when i hear thick. we have a version of the milkshake joke, which definately uses thick to refer to lack of intelligence than body size. But perhaps that is just an australianism? 

edit - sorry i was too thick and missed the meaning of rach's post ;-)

No,  it's the same in the UK and Ireland jane3001. :P

The word thick disgusts me as a description of a woman's body. Any woman who buys into it is buying into the oversexualization of women by ignorant men. It's not a compliment regardless of what they mean. 

Geez...if 5'7" and 156 is "thick" I would hate to hear what he would call me!  He obviously wasnt meaning to hurt your feelings and probably meant it with all his heart (that it was a good thing).  My husband doesnt want me to lose weight, and I am rather thick...but thats why he is my weakest motivator, lol

I am 212lb 5'10 and I live in NYC Harlem to be exact. I say this to say that in my community(black/hispanic) men refer to me as thick all the time... do I like it no but when I was Skinny I didn't like being called hey slim either. When you see the hip hop video girls they are what men consider thick-big bobs tiny waist and huge butts thighs. That is considered good in most african american communites. Not that I can speak for all black people so don't get offended. But traditionally that is how we have looked.

God you don't know how many times I have heard the word "thick" to describe me in my life. Always from guys and they always say it's a compliment. At first I thought the same thing, that he was just using a nice word to call me fat but all the guys I've talked to told me it was a good thing. Hell, even my fiance calls me that, I tell him I wanna lose weigh and he's like "but you are naturally thick." It still irritates me a but but I try to remember in their twisted minds they are actually complimenting ME.

I don't think it was a negative comment. There was a girl at my work who described herself as think. She was not fat. She was tall and athletic.