I was in a group of school mums and one told she used to be a backpacker. I surprised as she looks in style all the time not chilled and casual like backpackers!
I told her you are too fancy to be a backpacker and she got offended! What was to right word in this context?
Please don’t mind me. I am an ESL and the hardest thig for me is using the words in the correct context now!
Hello and welcome to the forum. To answer your question, it would be good if you could explain what exactly you wanted to say If I understand you correctly, you think that these moms are too fancy or even too snobby to go on a backpacking trip. If that’s the case, I would agree that they have reason to be offended because you obviously judged them on their looks instead of talking to them to find out what they’re really like.
Hi Torsten,
Thank you for your answer. I totally agree wit you. I think it comes more from cultural differences! I actually intended to compliment same as back home and mention that how nice and good looking she always is, however, I actually judged her interest in backpacking life style!!
Apart from my problem in the context that I learned now, is fancy a good word in the sentence?
I think the adjective fancy is primarily used to describe things and not people. A restaurant can be fancy, or a dress, but normally you wouldn’t call a person fancy. By the way, this is an interesting article:
Thank you so much for your time.
There is a common schoolyard insult of calling someone “Miss fancy pants”. I think it means you think you’re too good for us.
Referring to people, I think it means they’ve gone over the top, ostentatious, well beyond what is required for normal style.
I think there’s also a difference between calling someone a name and describing someone.
You are fancy.
You dress fancy.
The second sentence is better, though the still not a great use of the word.
You might consider something like this:
I wouldn’t have taken you for a backpacker.
Oh, why not?
Well, you’re always dressed so stylishly, not outdoorsy like most backpackers.
Hi Arinker,
Thank you so much. Very well explained!