Non-UK person and TIL what "fit" means. Obviously that's subjective, but what does it mean to you?

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oscarx-ray@reddit

Depends on the context. "Romantically" - Physically attractive "Generally" - Healthy / in good shape / looks like they work out (can be what someone finds physically attractive, but not necessarily).

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oscarx-ray@reddit

For that to be a question that I can answer, I will need at least a few more words in it.

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PreferenceAnxious449@reddit

I don't want you to answer it - I am just dumbfounded that such a highly upvoted answer doesn't include the context where it is commonly used and quantified.

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But I didn't mention biology. There are two contexts where someone would commonly describe someone as "fit"; Describing their physical attractiveness for one, and their ability to partake in sport or exercise being the other. What about that has confused you so much?

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PreferenceAnxious449@reddit

I'm confused that you didn't mention biology. It's not you buddy. You didn't upvote yourself 50 times. You don't have to change anything. I'm just adding that important context for OP.

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Finding out the context is key then I suppose so you don't misinterpret what someone is saying if they say that to you 🤔

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ButtweyBiscuitBass@reddit

If I said someone was fit to a friend they would assume I was saying attractive unless the context meant I was talking about them being healthy

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oscarx-ray@reddit

Either way, it's a compliment at least!

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oscarx-ray@reddit

[This instructional video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEIRNj0EmH0) might help.

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PreferenceAnxious449@reddit

In biology fitness is a quantitative measure of successful reproduction.

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

Fit? See, I reckon fit would be an eight or a nine Maybe even nine and a half in four beers' time…Might give a few more points if they have a nice blue Topshop top on that looks nice, Maybe lose a point fir too much fake tan, though, but yeah, they’d still score high… I guess there's just one little thing that really, really annoys me, there’s really fit…But my gosh it’s less fit if they don't just know it.

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Competitive_Ad_5224@reddit

Woahhh woahhh we’ve had a few fair play

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xesiamv@reddit

Don't touch me

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Omg a poem and riddle all in one. I love it haha

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Mr06506@reddit

You need to Google the lyrics and listen to the song. The word fit as you are asking was especially in vogue around the millennium, when The Streets recorded that. I don't hear it used nearly as much now. Maybe because I'm not a teenage boy anymore.

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

Put in your classics and have a little dance shall we…

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paul-techish@reddit

Not sure how dancing relates to the topic, but I guess it could fit into the personality aspect. movement and confidence canplay a role in how someone is perceived...

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appletinicyclone@reddit

The streets was so good

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Dancinglemming@reddit

God bless Mike Skinner (before he went shit)

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Steve8557@reddit

Just had to google when it came out as it can’t be toooo long surely I told myself … 22 years ago 🥲

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

1990 was only a few ago…right…right?!?

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tomahawk66mtb@reddit

I hate to break it to you, but 1990 was *10 years ago*.

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

Time sure flies by…

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Zerosix_K@reddit

Well the 80's was 20 years ago. So it tracks that the 90's was only a few years so...

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TheresNoHurry@reddit

Similarly, 2019 was just in the last few months

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BadeArse@reddit

Just a nice, fresh 62 months ago.

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Did not realize this was a song! Will Google stat!

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tomahawk66mtb@reddit

I haven't been fit by any definition of the word for about 2 decades ..

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TankFoster@reddit

I stopped sharking a minute to get chips and drinks.

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ReditMcGogg@reddit

Somehow a reddit comment gave me goosebumps…

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Dancinglemming@reddit

I'm not trying to pull you, even though I would like to.

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spike_2112@reddit

I think you are really fit. Your fit but my gosh don’t you know it

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clrthrn@reddit

This is the only answer surely

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ddmf@reddit

Leave it out!

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Ok-Bench9164@reddit

What an absolute LEGEND for this comment. I applaud you. Good Form!!

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

I pirated this material…originally

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Low_Sodiium@reddit

Also, thanks

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WhoEvenGoesAsFarAs@reddit

It's like PHWOAAR! innit.

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

I had to Google "Phwoaar" just to find out what it meant lol So yeah, TIL I learned 2 british word meanings 😂

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dudeyaaaas@reddit

You may also say someone is: - bang tidy. - proper tidy. - peng. - lush. On the flip side, someone unattractive, can call them: - a minger or thay they are minging. - butters. - naff. So there you go, you too can objectify people with the cool (British) kids.

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deathbypuppies_@reddit

Don’t forget a munter!

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WhoEvenGoesAsFarAs@reddit

;-)

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DescriptionFuture851@reddit

"Fit" is attractive. For example, I'd mention to my friends that the woman in the corner is "Fit", meaning that I'm attracted to her.

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tommyredbeard@reddit

In the north west people use it more generally, so a food might be described as fit. Or an item of clothing etc “Try this gravy, what do you think?” * SLURP * “yeah, fit”

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Yes I was confused because I saw someone say "fit" in a reddit food group one time as well 😂

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dungeon-mister@reddit

It means peng

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Had to Google that as well 😂

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

Axminster carpet? Fit crack in t'corner

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

I need to decode this whole sentence 😂

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mad_saffer@reddit

True story. My non British friend was at the gym training and watched a man running on the treadmill. Not a leisurely iog mind, but a flat out run. As he got off, she said "You're so fit!" , meaning "you can run on a treadmill without falling down with exhaustion at the end". He obviously took it the other way, gave her a funny look and left. When I explained her faux pas she was horrified and embarrassed and never went back to the gym.

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Omg that could easily have been me since "fit" in my mind means "physically fit" or "in shape" or "fitness oriented" lol

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

Physical attributes. It means, to use the vernacular of this boomer's day... "phwoar!!".

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Numerous_Shoulder351@reddit

hot, sexy, swag, personality, chutzpah - it's not just face and body, no

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tadpole-bear@reddit

Yes! The way someone can be ugly-hot, you can be properly fit even if not healthy fit.

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Ok_Cow_3431@reddit

amazed at the black and white, absolute answers being given here. It's incredibly context dependent. Fit can mean physically attractive, but can also mean in physical good shape/athletic. "I'm feeling very unfit today" doesn't mean I'm feeling ugly, it means I feel tired, low energy.

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mailywhale@reddit

Means the same as hot

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AnneKnightley@reddit

Just physical characteristics to me - aka they’re really good looking.

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terryjuicelawson@reddit

A bit of a 90s/00s way of saying someone is attractive. But like how you may say "hot"

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ODFoxtrotOscar@reddit

Fit = attractive, and is mainly physical attributes It can literally mean fit if you’re talking about sport, but that’s still bodily fitness, just with the attraction bit becoming irrelevant

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AnonymousTimewaster@reddit

Hot, sexy, attractive

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

So would you say fit to the person you are attracted to (e.g. Jane, I think you're fit)? Or is it only used when you're describing that person to someone else?

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behemuffin@reddit

"Jane, I think you're well fit" would be a more usual construction. Except: 1 - no British person would be that direct, unless lots of alcohol had been consumed, in which case ZzhaneIfigyuuurweeeeellfi' is the correct pronunciation. 2 - no self respecting person over the age of 15 would use that phrase. 3 - it's not the 90s any more, so most like no self respecting person under the age of 15 would use that phrase either. I believe 'stone cold baddie' is the *mot juste* in this day and age.

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Jimathay@reddit

Both. However, as Brits, we're generally not so forthright as to go up to someone and tell them they're attractive to their face, whatever word is used. But, 20 years ago back when I was a young man about town, it wasn't uncommon to be snogging a girl in a nightclub and telling her "my god you're really fit".

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Sopzeh@reddit

Jane would be over the moon if you said that to her

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Probablyatrollmaybe@reddit

Attractive

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

So is it strictly a way to describe someone physically? Not necessarily personality-wise?

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DeemonPankaik@reddit

Yes it is always a physical description The traditional meaning of "fit" would be to look healthy, in shape, or like they work out, that kind of thing. But probably in the last 30 years or so it can be used to describe someone as physically attractive. So you can say someone looks fit without thinking they're fit, or you can think someone is fit without them being fit.

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Time-Mode-9@reddit

I can attest that it was used in the 80's

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Noon_Specialist@reddit

Yes

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shadow-season@reddit

Someone described as fit is either 1. Physically in shape 2. Physically attractive It's totally contextual as to which. Additionally "fit" can be used in place of "outfit", as in "check my fit" when sharing a picture of your clothes for the day.

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king_ofbhutan@reddit

attractive, or athletic, or suitable for something

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abyssal-isopod86@reddit

Fit = hot.

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Chaffro@reddit

Did somebody say you're fit, OP? Because then you probably are.

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Striking-Ad-271@reddit

Oh ye someone whos like proper bangin' yeah?

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GlitterLippy@reddit

For me it means a guy I find physically very attractive. In actual usage I’d never use it while talking to him, instead I’d only use it when describing him to someone else. For example “Hey Rob I think you’re really hot” vs “I saw Rob again yesterday, he’s so fit it’s unreal”.

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CoffeeeGoblin@reddit

Both attractive and physically healthy.

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Mikon_Youji@reddit

It means you think they're hot.

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ysabellatrix@reddit

In the UK, it means physically attractive - “she’s hot”

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DefinitelyNotEmu@reddit

It also means the opposite of unwell/sick - ie: "are you feeling fit and healthy enough to come into work today?"

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

Thank you for not muddying the waters of my understanding of this word haha

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fickle_tartan@reddit

I don't think I've used it with the colloquial meaning for a very long time, but to me it was always *physically* attractive. People vary though, I know someone who uses way more broadly, so like if he ate a piece of cake and thought it was delicious he'd describe it as "fit". Sometimes even just as a positive one word response in the way you might use 'cool' or 'nice'.

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SaveMeWakeMeUp@reddit (OP)

That's super interesting to me and will likely leave me with more questions haha

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fickle_tartan@reddit

Sorry! It's definitely not a common thing though, so if you hear it, there's a 99% chance it just means physically attractive.

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Pockysocks@reddit

Physically attractive.

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