General
chick
What does chick mean?
Used to refer to a girlfriend or a woman one is interested in.
"He's bringing his chick to the session tonight."
Origin
From 1920s-30s jazz slang, where 'chick' meant a young woman; it pairs with 'cat' for a man. Beatniks adopted it as standard vocabulary in the 1950s. Now widely considered dated and dismissive.
Frequently asked questions
What does chick mean in beatnik slang?
It means a young woman, often one in the hip scene — the female counterpart to calling a man a 'cat.'
Where did chick come from?
From 1920s-30s jazz slang for a young woman. Beatniks carried it into the '50s as everyday hip vocabulary.
Is chick offensive now?
It's widely seen as dated and can come off as dismissive today, though in the beat era it was neutral, ordinary slang.
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