Talk:Chic
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German or French?
Dictionaries seem to say that the word comes from German, not French.--Ami in CH (talk) 14:34, 21 November 2008 (UTC)
Chic vs. Posh
I would not say that "chic" is the counterpart of "posh". One can be posh but not chic and vice-versa. "Chic" is a matter of style; "posh," in a person, at least, is more a matter of background and speech. A working-class woman can be chic if she has the looks and the style instincts to make the most of them in the right way, and she doesn't even need to wear the most expensive clothes. Even a very "posh" room, one decorated at great expense with the finest furniture, ornaments, and fabrics, can lack "chic". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.251.36.89 (talk) 16:01, 5 December 2010 (UTC)
Chic from the word "Chicago"
French native speakers have explained that all the above is incorrect. Starting around the 1870's, Chicago was seen by French high fashion houses as the epitome of glamour and expensive, beautiful clothes. In France, CHICAGO began referring to any and all things that were top of the line. In French, CHICAGO is pronounced "SHEEK-ah-go". As the word became commonplace, it was truncated down to "Sheek" but spelled as "Chic" from "Chic(ago)". It became commonpace back then for the French to describe everything - hats, clothes, parties, etc. rather than "tres, tres Chicago" for the best of the best of Chicago's luxury in favor of simply "tres, tres Chic!" [citation needed, however considering the 1870s as the relative time the word "chic" began in documented English, it seems more plausible that "chic" comes from "Chicago" than from over-thinking its etymology to be of ancient or other foreign origin.] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.202.12.193 (talk) 20:00, 23 August 2019 (UTC)