Oct 10, 2005 16:14
18 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term
YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE - over 40 YEARS!
Native in: English 
, German
Works in: English to German, German to English, Portuguese to German, and 3 more.
beauty spot(s)
English
Marketing
Tourism & Travel
natural scenery / landscape
I would be interested to hear from native speakers whether beauty spots can also be used to describe beautiful features in a landscape or whether the use is only restricted to cosmetic and/or birth marks.
Many thanks
Many thanks
Responses
Responses
+19
6 mins
Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Germany
Native in English
&
English
Germany
Quality Translations since 1986
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, English, German, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
both
I've often heard it used to describe scenery too
"local beauty spot" gets over 18000 UK googles, FWIW
"local beauty spot" gets over 18000 UK googles, FWIW
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lori Dendy-Molz
: "beauty mark" is more common where I come from -- not often used for scenery, but I think it would be OK if it's point is clear.
3 mins
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| agree |
RHELLER
: I noticed that it is used in the UK :-)
22 mins
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| agree |
jerrie
: agree - both uses fine
25 mins
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| agree |
Nick Lingris
: http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/in_pictures/360/be...
39 mins
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| agree |
LJC (X)
: definitely used in the UK for scenery
1 hr
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| agree |
Dave Calderhead
: A simple but beautiful answer! (:-{)> Both are absolutely correct in UK English ('scuse fingers!)
1 hr
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| agree |
Rachel Fell
1 hr
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| agree |
cello
1 hr
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
1 hr
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| agree |
ENGSOL
: FWIW, the editors of the OALD also seem to think it's ok in BrE ;-) -- "beauty spot: a place in the countryside famous for its beautiful scenery" see http://www.oup.com/elt/oald/
2 hrs
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| agree |
jennifer newsome (X)
2 hrs
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| agree |
Armorel Young
: "local beauty spot" is a very common and familiar phrase to my UK ears
2 hrs
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| agree |
Saiwai Translation Services
6 hrs
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| agree |
humbird
9 hrs
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| agree |
Marijke Singer
: Perfectly OK for the UK.
11 hrs
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| agree |
Richard Benham
: Of course you are right, but the risk of confusing North Americans might be a good reason to avoid it when there are alternatives available.
12 hrs
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| agree |
mportal
: I suppose Richard is correct, but if UK English speakers always tried to avoid confusing North Americans........
15 hrs
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| agree |
Deborah Workman
: You and Google educated me! Certainly wouldn't be used in the States to describe a location unless someone was tryiing to be funny in headline (about a spa, say)!
1 day 7 hrs
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| agree |
juvera
: I found masses of beauty spots referring to US landmarks too. Even a cemetery called Beauty Spot Cemetery in Marlboro County, South Carolina.
2 days 4 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I am really grateful for all the suggestions and comments which proved very useful. And I am glad to learn that this term once only associated with camp baroque and screen divas can now safely extent its role to other fields.
"
+3
2 mins
beautiful not beauty
never heard that (U.S.)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Michael Barnett
49 mins
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thanks Michael :-)
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| agree |
jccantrell
: In the USA, a 'beauty spot' is a mole, usually on a wonan's face.
50 mins
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nowadays, those are often removed (fear of melanoma)- the world has changed, in the 17th cent. fake ones were all the rage, or so I heard from Madame de Montespan :-)
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| neutral |
Rachel Fell
: re facial beauty spots: not so long ago too! http://www.silversirens.co.uk/ml/ml_credits.html\\Oh dear - wasn't aware of it - the diffs. can be interesting, too
1 hr
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I have already agreed w/Brits on this topic - I specifically stated this is a U.S. answer - so why the neutral//well there's been quite a row this weekend in Eng-Eng; I just posted http://www.proz.com/topic/37753
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| agree |
Johan Venter
: Beauty spot does not tell me anything other than a facial spot either. Beautiful must be used.
3 hrs
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thank you :-)
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| neutral |
juvera
: Beauty Spot 4497Tennessee Landforms; Beauty Sp. of the Blue Ridge; Pike's Peak Region Nature's Beauty Sp. Denver; Adirondack Mountains Beauty Sp; B. S. Observ.Cherokee Nat.Forest; If they are old, they are not walid?See US maps & internet. 19 century?
2 days 4 hrs
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here's two questions for you: in what year were those places named? is that modern U.S. English?//did the asker request 19th century English?//I am not debating that they exist just that no one would use those names today-2005
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+3
7 mins
Neil Claridge
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
Accurate, cost-effective translations.
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, Italian to English
area of natural beauty
I know this is a slightly long-winded way of putting it, but 'beauty spot' alone to me refers to a birth mark or pimple on the face. If you 'google' it, the majority of the results will say the same; there are some that refer to land areas, but personally I think most native English people will think of the former. Hence I would go for 'area of natural beauty', to avoid any confusion. Hope this helps. :)
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-10-10 16:31:45 GMT)
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Ok -in that case I would agree with Cilian - Local beauty spot ('local' seems to take the emphasis off the 'spot'!) :)
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-10-10 16:31:45 GMT)
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Ok -in that case I would agree with Cilian - Local beauty spot ('local' seems to take the emphasis off the 'spot'!) :)
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Sven Petersson
5 mins
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| agree |
Michael Barnett
45 mins
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| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
1 hr
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+2
18 mins
well UK, not US
As a US native I must say it doesn't sound natural, but as Cillian pointed out it does seem to be quite common in the UK.
In the US, I'd suggest 'scenic attraction' in a tourism context (a rather overused cliche, but travel writing of the grind-it-out school thrives on cliches) or perhaps 'natural beauty area' (although 'natural beauty' primarlily gets hits for personal care products).
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Note added at 22 mins (2005-10-10 16:37:08 GMT)
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Maybe it's just a question of relative geographic scale. IMO in the US there's no specific term for a small, beautiful area -- you'd more likely use a term that identifies the area (village, glade, woods, etc.) and characterise it as 'beautiful'. 'Scenic attractions' and the like in the US are usually on the landscape scale.
In the US, I'd suggest 'scenic attraction' in a tourism context (a rather overused cliche, but travel writing of the grind-it-out school thrives on cliches) or perhaps 'natural beauty area' (although 'natural beauty' primarlily gets hits for personal care products).
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Note added at 22 mins (2005-10-10 16:37:08 GMT)
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Maybe it's just a question of relative geographic scale. IMO in the US there's no specific term for a small, beautiful area -- you'd more likely use a term that identifies the area (village, glade, woods, etc.) and characterise it as 'beautiful'. 'Scenic attractions' and the like in the US are usually on the landscape scale.
16 hrs
Camelia Frunză
Romania
Romania
Romania
Sworn Translator and Interpreter
Native in: Romanian
Works in: English to Romanian, Romanian to English, French to Romanian, and 5 more.
a beautiful place in the countryside that attracts tourists
used with this meaning only in UK
+2
3 mins
not landscape
It would be a very odd usage.
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Note added at 4 mins (2005-10-10 16:18:47 GMT)
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For a landscape, we would be more likely to say "beautiful/lovely spot".
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Note added at 1 day 45 mins (2005-10-11 16:59:47 GMT)
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Side note for mportal:
Neck of the Woods
Neck of the woods is a US phrase dating to 1780. Originally, it meant a narrow strip of wooded land. Gradually, the sense changed to refer to a district or neighborhood in general. Neck is commonly used in geography to describe any narrow feature of the land, such as a mountain pass or isthmus.
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Note added at 4 mins (2005-10-10 16:18:47 GMT)
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For a landscape, we would be more likely to say "beautiful/lovely spot".
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Note added at 1 day 45 mins (2005-10-11 16:59:47 GMT)
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Side note for mportal:
Neck of the Woods
Neck of the woods is a US phrase dating to 1780. Originally, it meant a narrow strip of wooded land. Gradually, the sense changed to refer to a district or neighborhood in general. Neck is commonly used in geography to describe any narrow feature of the land, such as a mountain pass or isthmus.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Cilian O'Tuama
: not in my neck of the woods// Dublin (no worries)
6 mins
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What exactly is your neck of the woods? // Sorry, didn't mean to imply that Irish usage is odd usage!
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| agree |
sarahl (X)
37 mins
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Thanks, Sarah
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| agree |
Michael Barnett
: At least in Canada, I would agree that it would be "odd" usage.
49 mins
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Thanks, Michael
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| neutral |
Richard Benham
: It is used a lot in Australia, UK and elsewhere, but I would avoid it because of the ambiguity.
12 hrs
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My sentiments exactly.
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| neutral |
mportal
: agree with Richard and Cilian. 'Neck of the woods' is UK English usage, by the way
15 hrs
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LOL I know what neck of the woods means. I was asking where his was.
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| neutral |
juvera
: Sorry, there are plenty of landscape Beauty Spots in the US.
2 days 6 hrs
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It is not a common phrase here.
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| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: I agree. A writer could use it to mean that but non natives beware!
3 days 2 hrs
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Thanks, Jane
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Discussion