What is considered a TRUE Tomboy?

Question

It seems more and more feminine women are takeing the word "Tomboy" as a joke these days and applying it to themselves because they either have friends who are boys or like sports. It seems like the name "Tomboy" is being used more and more out of it's original meaning these days.

In the 1980s - early 1990s That's when Tomboys and masculine women started to become well known. Punk girls, Tomboys, Butch, etc.

Now today it seems like feminine women have taken over the whole female population and Tomboys are rare to find.

Anyway, back to my original question,

What is considered a TRUE Tomboy? What's the scientific name for it?

What is considered a Tomboy PUNK that imitates men (dress and behavor) but is straight?

The two fictional characters that I consider TRUE Tomboys are Tank Girl (UK Graphic Novel Series) and Haruko (FLCL)

Before I end my question, I know that I'm probably going to get a huge amount of answers like "Don't use labels MAN!". It's for research!

Answer 1

I've often been called a tomboy although I never really thought of myself that way. I actually find it slightly offensive, along with being called a tomboy I'm usually called a L*****n as well, I'm straight.

People can clearly tell that I am a female from my face and hair although I wear men's clothes and hide my body shape and any kind of 'feminine sexuality' I have no female friends because I have nothing at all in common with them. It's rather isolating sometimes.

Butch women, women who look like men, actually scare me and I wonder if that's how I'm going to turn out one day Ha.

I think I know what you mean when feminine women call themselves tomboy or have the word plastered all over one of their tight pink tops. I think they like to think of themselves in that way because they think it's attractive to boys.

I don't know much about it's original meaning or what's a 'true' tomboy but I think you're obsessed with graphic novels and that's all there is to it.

Answer 2

I'm a lot older than you,in my day there were "Tomboys",girls that liked to climb trees,fly kites,wear boy's baseball caps,etc. they were usually tom boys because their daddies wanted or treated them like little boys,took them fishing,hunting,things they would have done with their sons.

    Also, a lot of girls who are lesbians now, were tomboys when growing up,but  not all tom boys are lesbians.

    I've never heard of tom boys having a scientific name ,but that's certainly a possibility.

Answer 3

I don't see Punk girls as tomboys..Hmm a tomboy to me when growing up was someone who hated makeup, dresses, always wanted to get rough and dirty with the guys...

Wow, I'm not even sure if I can answer this question. I don't use tomboy in my everyday vocab.

Answer 4

'Tomboy' a derogatory label, nothing else.  And its subjective.  There is nothing scientific here.  Its as pointless as asking "What is considered a TRUE Mama's boy?"

Answer 5

Tomboy is a general descriptive term, it's not a category like '9 mm socket', that if it's one mm more it no longer fits the term.

It's whatever the person saying it thinks it is.

And you are right, the understood meaning probably has changed half a dozen times in the past century ~ that is a very common behaviour of english language words.

And while I'm a fan of Tank Girl, she wasn't even thought of when I was growing up and tomboy was a common description for any girl who wore trousers instead of dresses, or wanted to climb trees instead of play with dolls, and it was an old description then.

See link below, too ~ interesting!

Cheers :-)