In a certain section of English society there can be no higher praise for a young woman than to be called pretty, or very pretty
The first time I came across this I was mildly outraged
It is sexist, in the sense that a young man cannot be pretty, or at least not in a good way. But it is not really a comment on a girls looks, other than that she is clean & tidy & dresses neatly. Not flash, that would be a pretty girl but …
She is also well brought up, friendly & outgoing, reliable & kind. And she certainly ought to make the best of her educational opportunities, though probably not be so clever as to be scary
She will always pull her weight. In the past it would have meant lots of committees & good works, after bringing up 4 nicely mannered children. These days this means having a career.
Alice Aldridge is certainly a pretty girl. Fallon Rogers may be one too, though she may be handicapped by having parents who run a pub
I for one was very touched to hear the commanding officer of Corporal Sarah Bryant describe her as a very pretty girl, a really pretty girl
