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TaliesinMerlin
TaliesinMerlin
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There is no direct equivalent phrase, in the sense that the exact list of qualities would not be associated with an English phrase. The connotation is also tricky - a connotative match would have to be both negative and reclaimed by some of these women. It is exceptionally unlikely that you'll find a denotative and connotative match to something so specific. Thus a translator would have to decide which sense to emphasize in a given situation.

That saidFor this answer, I focus on a match to the literal sense of the term, since the connotative match is so difficult. A more prosaic phrase that captures much of the literal meaning is independent woman: a woman who works and lives her life free of dependence on a relationship. If you are writing for translation today, the term would primarily be used for the more positive, reclaimed sense of the word dried fish woman - the ones who view such a woman as "rational self-sufficient loner women who live just for themselves." (Comment to question by Mitsuko, above.)

 

History

The term is present at least as far back as the 19th and early 20th centuries, where it referred to women who worked in factories, as teachers, or in other service jobs. This early letter in a periodical called The Texaco Star (1916) represents the negative perceptionearly stereotypes of such women that resemble what you list:

They have a "dead look," attributed by the letter writer to lacking a husband or family to live for. So, at least in the phrase's early history, the idea that she has lost desire for men or family or life itself is present.

 

That paradigm has largely remained toUsage Today

By the present day, an independent woman has become a more positive label in most contexts. Its negative qualities tend to survive in the prejudices of some commentators who believe that the so-called independence of such women is fake. For example, note the mingling of independence and negativity in these Urban Dictionary definitions and examples. For exampleWithin the first entry, this sounds independentlike the positive version of the independent woman:

But the definition author betrays some prejudice in the example by writing about a woman who pretends to be independent but is actually lonely:

Meanwhile, this Wikipedia article sums up the expression's pop cultural history, and there are many more positive articles about the type like this one in the Huffington Post encouraging the independent woman.

Frequency

 

So there is a lotSo When Would You Use Independent Woman for Dried Fish Woman?

In one of support for it beingthe comments to your answer, you suggest that the label of the dried fish woman has been reclaimed by at least some women, who view independence from pursuing marriage and maintaining their appearance to be a recognizable phrasepositive step in their lives. IFor these women, independent woman would use it as shorthand forbe an apt translation, representing a woman who worksdoes her own thing and earns her own way with less concern for appearances or depending on a marital partner.

For the more negative stereotype, independent woman would have once encompassed those negative qualities (a woman who has lost some of her spark because she is actually in need of a man whether she admits it or not tied down by familial obligations), but today that usage only survives in rather misogynistic contexts like Urban Dictionary and enjoys going out or traveling alonein very traditionalist op-eds.

There is no direct equivalent phrase, in the sense that the exact list of qualities would not be associated with an English phrase. The connotation is also tricky - a connotative match would have to be both negative and reclaimed by some of these women.

That said, a more prosaic phrase that captures much of the literal meaning is independent woman: a woman who works and lives her life free of dependence on a relationship.

The term is present at least as far back as the 19th and early 20th centuries, where it referred to women who worked in factories, as teachers, or in other service jobs. This early letter in a periodical called The Texaco Star (1916) represents the negative perception of such women:

They have a "dead look," attributed by the letter writer to lacking a husband or family to live for.

That paradigm has largely remained to the present day. For example, note the mingling of independence and negativity in these Urban Dictionary definitions and examples. For example, this sounds independent:

But the definition author betrays some prejudice in the example by writing about a woman who pretends to be independent but is actually lonely:

Meanwhile, this Wikipedia article sums up the expression's pop cultural history, and there are many articles like this one in the Huffington Post encouraging the independent woman.

So there is a lot of support for it being a recognizable phrase. I would use it as shorthand for a woman who works, is not tied down by familial obligations, and enjoys going out or traveling alone.

There is no direct equivalent phrase, in the sense that the exact list of qualities would not be associated with an English phrase. The connotation is also tricky - a connotative match would have to be both negative and reclaimed by some of these women. It is exceptionally unlikely that you'll find a denotative and connotative match to something so specific. Thus a translator would have to decide which sense to emphasize in a given situation.

For this answer, I focus on a match to the literal sense of the term, since the connotative match is so difficult. A more prosaic phrase that captures much of the literal meaning is independent woman: a woman who works and lives her life free of dependence on a relationship. If you are writing for translation today, the term would primarily be used for the more positive, reclaimed sense of the word dried fish woman - the ones who view such a woman as "rational self-sufficient loner women who live just for themselves." (Comment to question by Mitsuko, above.)

 

History

The term is present at least as far back as the 19th and early 20th centuries, where it referred to women who worked in factories, as teachers, or in other service jobs. This early letter in a periodical called The Texaco Star (1916) represents early stereotypes of such women that resemble what you list:

They have a "dead look," attributed by the letter writer to lacking a husband or family to live for. So, at least in the phrase's early history, the idea that she has lost desire for men or family or life itself is present.

 

Usage Today

By the present day, an independent woman has become a more positive label in most contexts. Its negative qualities tend to survive in the prejudices of some commentators who believe that the so-called independence of such women is fake. For example, note the mingling of independence and negativity in these Urban Dictionary definitions and examples. Within the first entry, this sounds like the positive version of the independent woman:

But the definition author betrays prejudice in the example by writing about a woman who pretends to be independent but is actually lonely:

Meanwhile, this Wikipedia article sums up the expression's pop cultural history, and there are many more positive articles about the type like this one in the Huffington Post encouraging the independent woman.

Frequency

 

So When Would You Use Independent Woman for Dried Fish Woman?

In one of the comments to your answer, you suggest that the label of the dried fish woman has been reclaimed by at least some women, who view independence from pursuing marriage and maintaining their appearance to be a positive step in their lives. For these women, independent woman would be an apt translation, representing a woman who does her own thing and earns her own way with less concern for appearances or depending on a marital partner.

For the more negative stereotype, independent woman would have once encompassed those negative qualities (a woman who has lost some of her spark because she is actually in need of a man whether she admits it or not), but today that usage only survives in rather misogynistic contexts like Urban Dictionary and in very traditionalist op-eds.

Source Link
TaliesinMerlin
TaliesinMerlin
  • 41.7k
  • 3
  • 73
  • 142

There is no direct equivalent phrase, in the sense that the exact list of qualities would not be associated with an English phrase. The connotation is also tricky - a connotative match would have to be both negative and reclaimed by some of these women.

That said, a more prosaic phrase that captures much of the literal meaning is independent woman: a woman who works and lives her life free of dependence on a relationship.

The term is present at least as far back as the 19th and early 20th centuries, where it referred to women who worked in factories, as teachers, or in other service jobs. This early letter in a periodical called The Texaco Star (1916) represents the negative perception of such women:

Economically the so-called independent woman is important and rates high. She earns money - that accounts for her rating. I wonder how many men enjoy working just for themselves? The independent woman does that. Sometimes she has parents or a husband to support, but for the most part she works for herself.

It turns out she's thirty years old or older.

I am speaking of the independent woman past thirty years of age, the ones who probably will be independent forever. One sees them by the thousands - well dressed, dependable -

They have a "dead look," attributed by the letter writer to lacking a husband or family to live for.

but the dead look in their eyes tells the discerning observer that the most of them would give away their wonderful independence in the twinkling of an eye for something real to live for. [...] I have met a great many of these women - stenographers, saleswomen, teachers, librarians - and it is the tragic truth that they are a restless and embittered class. A vast number of these decent, efficient women are real women; they have emotions and the right desire for a mate and a home. They have just been cheated of a woman's normal life, just as much as if they were medieval nuns or the victims of war.

The expression was also claimed as a label for the working woman. A periodical called The Independent Woman was published from 1920 to 1956, after which it changed its title to National Business Woman (source). The label was pragmatic - women who worked enjoyed economic independence. For some people this independence was negative because it separated women from traditional family structures. For other people this independence was liberating.

That paradigm has largely remained to the present day. For example, note the mingling of independence and negativity in these Urban Dictionary definitions and examples. For example, this sounds independent:

A confident self motivated woman who takes responsibility for her actions and never blame the rest of the world for her mistakes or her downfalls. Her pride doesn't get in the way if she ever needs a helping hand.

But the definition author betrays some prejudice in the example by writing about a woman who pretends to be independent but is actually lonely:

A women [sic], who is stubborn, rude, lonely and always saying that she is an independent woman, need to stop lying to herself and the people around her.

Meanwhile, this Wikipedia article sums up the expression's pop cultural history, and there are many articles like this one in the Huffington Post encouraging the independent woman.

In terms of usage, this Google Ngram shows an uptick in usage after about 1980, whereas the near-synonym spinster (denoting an unmarried older woman) remains relatively stable. Meanwhile, the Corpus for Contemporary American English confirms 138 results for the phrase, with strong, fierce, and feminist all being common collocations. (Examples: "a strong independent woman," "a fiercely independent woman," "independent woman formed by the feminist struggles of the 1970s.")

So there is a lot of support for it being a recognizable phrase. I would use it as shorthand for a woman who works, is not tied down by familial obligations, and enjoys going out or traveling alone.