1

I wonder if 'play cute' or 'play adorable' is frequently used to stand for 'act cute/adorable' in spoken language. It seems easier to google out 'act cute/adorable' instead of 'play cute/adorable'.

8
  • 6
    I only know 50s movies where the cop says "Don't play cute with me!" to the uncooperative gangster being questioned. I can't believe anyone still says that (if indeed they ever did, outside of movie scripts). Presumably OP means something different, but I don't know what it is. We need more context, please. Oct 18, 2011 at 2:08
  • We're all human beings, so I expect similar situations happen to all of us. But please can you explain what these expressions mean to you? Oct 18, 2011 at 2:53
  • I am not sure if the following situation would happen in western cultures or not. But in the East, a girl would try or pretend to act cute or adorable when she is with someone on whom she Oct 18, 2011 at 3:04
  • 1
    Okay, well like I say, I don't think play cute has been much used for decades, and I doubt play/act adorable ever has or will be. Also I don't think there will necessarily be any standard expressions (slang or otherwise) that simultaneously cover both a girl acting coy to enhance her sexual attractiveness, and a kindergarten teacher using a childish voice (btw - toddlers in kindergarten aren't called students). Oct 18, 2011 at 3:27
  • 1
    I think @FumbleFingers is right, you're going to need two different words for those situations. The first is flirtatious, but if you described a kindergarten teacher as such, you'd raise some eyebrows. (Though I feel like this wasn't always the case - any thoughts? Was there a time when an adult could have been described as "flirting" with a baby, e.g.?)
    – user13141
    Oct 18, 2011 at 5:38

2 Answers 2

1

These have different shades of meaning. One who "plays cute" is intentionally giving that impression, while one who "acts cute" may be doing it intentionally but may not.

3
  • Does that mean these expressions are understandable by native English speakers if used by a non-native speakers, even though they may be old-fashioned or mean subtly differently? Oct 19, 2011 at 1:03
  • Yes. But on the other hand, it might not have quite the meaning you intend (depending on what, precisely, you intend).
    – Charles
    Oct 19, 2011 at 13:21
  • 3
    I think this distinction is spurious. Jun 11, 2012 at 2:05
1

I was always under the impression that "don't play cute" means "don't pretend to be innocent"/"I know you're being dishonest".

1
  • 1
    Actually, it could be related to one of the original meanings of cute which was “clever”, or, more appropriate, “shrewd”.
    – theUg
    Feb 11, 2013 at 8:49

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.