Couples are sweet to each other today. No doubt about it. But don't you agree there was something so adorable about past generations and all the old school compliments they used?
Think back to movies from the 20s. Or try to recall that Victorian romance novel you loved. People from the past complimented each left and right, often saying things like "you're the bee's knees." I think we can all agree that is cute.
So if you want to start using old-fashioned compliments again, adorableness is definitely a good enough reason. But there's also the whole notion that compliments make for a healthier relationship. "Compliments make people feel good," says relationship expert April Masini, in an email to Bustle. They can also help boost your partner's self-esteem.
That is, if you use them correctly. "What you say is only as important as the spirit in which you say it and the spirit in which it’s received," Masini adds. "So whether you’re calling someone 'dandy' or 'the bee’s knees' or 'swell' ... the compliment is specific to your relationship and it will or not work depending on who you each are and you are as a couple."
In other words, let's hope your SO knows these compliments are coming a good place. Because, while they are all worth bringing back, some of them are just too funny. Read on to see what I mean.
1. "You're The Bee's Knees"
I highly suggest you start telling your partner they are "the bee's knees" because hey, they probably are. This sweet compliment became popular in the 1920s — the decade of adorable nonsense phrases, according to Phrases.org.uk. It means someone is "absolutely excellent," and should be used all the time.
2. "Your Virtues Have Taken Up My Thoughts"
The next time you're feelin' a bit saucy, let your partner know by saying, "Your virtues have so strangely taken up my thoughts, that therein they encrease and multiply in abundant felicity." This wordy quote is from The New Academy of Compliments, a dating handbook published in 1799, according to historian Emma Brand on the Washington Post. If it sounds fancy AF, that's because it is.
3. "You Are My Peerless Paramour"
To say someone is your "peerless paramour" is to say they have your unbeatable affection, according to an article on MentalFloss.com. The phrase is great on its own, but the fact it's from the Middle Ages makes it all the more interesting.
4. "You Are Quite The Snoutfair"
While this one certainly doesn't sound like a compliment, it means "a person with a handsome countenance," editor Carmel Lobello said on Jezebel.com. Perhaps the perfect thing to say when your partner is looking extra good?
5. "Come Here, My Darling Poplolly"
If you want to sound absolutely adorable, and confuse everyone around you, then go ahead and call your partner a "poplolly." This term of endearment comes from a French word meaning "a sweet baby," according to MentalFloss.com. Could it get any cuter than that?
6. "Aren't You Ladies The Jammiest Bits Of Jam"
While not exactly for couples, per se, I think this compliment is hi-larious. It's old slang that means "absolutely perfect young females," according to MentalFloss. So great, and definitely something you should start saying to your partner and their friends.
7. "You're As Cute As A Bug's Ear"
Saying your partner is "cute as a bug's ear" means they are, well, "very cute." The phrase originated in the southern states of America in the latter part of the 19th century. And while it may not make very much sense, it's definitely sweet enough to bring back.
8. "What A Flutter Bum"
Before your next date, tell your SO they look like "quite the flutter bum" and then enjoy their reaction. This slang term from the 1950s means someone is particularly handsome — even though it doesn't sound that way.
9. "You're Quite The Saucebox"
If your partner is the wittiest and sassiest person you know, then they're most definitely a "saucebox." It means they're a bit sassy. And yes, that's a compliment.
10. "You're Such A Bawcock"
If your partner is a "gentleman of character and integrity," then go ahead and call them a "bawcock." The term is from the one (the only) William Shakespeare, according to MentalFloss.com. And it sounds it.
11. "You Are My Wonder-Wench"
In an effort to save the best for last, I give you the term "wonder-wench." While it may sound a bit crass (in the best way possible), it actually means "sweetheart," according to Lobello.
And that's definitely a compliment worth bringing back.
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