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chick flick
noun phrase, slang

- a film aimed at or appealing to women

(Collins English Dictionary)

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This phrase combines two slang words: chick, which is slang for a woman and flick, which is slang for a movie and relates to the flickering (flimmer) appearance of a film.

Both words were first recorded in the U.S. during the mid-1920s. Chick is believed to have originated from the African-American culture, which has a rich and colourful history of slang.

Although the phrase did not become popular until the 1980s, chick flicks have been around for decades and cover a wide genre from Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, An Affair to Remember and Cinderella to Cyrano de Bergerac, Pretty Woman, The Piano, Sleepless in Seattle and Brokeback Mountain.

Flick chicks typically focus on romance and relationships, contain much dialogue, have female characters that are easy to identify with and have little, if any, action. The female characters in a chick flick are usually strong women who overcome adversity to reach their goals. The key to a successful chick flick is a message of female empowerment, although a good music soundtrack and closets full of designer clothes will also help boost ratings.

(sources: Wikipedia, Wisegeek)

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"Some guys will try and impress their first-night date by going to a chick flick".