Traded on looks

Posted by Smokey Stover on September 06, 2008 at 02:20

In Reply to: Traded on looks posted by ESC on September 05, 2008 at 08:23:

: : : : Has anyone heard of this? I got asked if I have ever "Traded on looks?" by a man who is a bit of an arrogant person in his everyday life. I had no idea what he was trying to say. What does this mean? Thanks!

: : :
: : : It means to use your physical appearance to achieve some goal. When stopped for speeding, the beautiful girl traded on her looks to avoid getting a ticket.

: : RRC is correct, and also correct in using it with a personal pronoun. People don't just trade on looks, they trade on their own looks. I suppose you could say, "She traded on her daughter's good looks," but even then, the looks are those of someone in particular.
: : SS

: Sarah Palin.

For someone's good looks to be traded on, he or she must have some. (I hope that doesn't sound too snarky. It's just a generality. )
SS