<p>–The guy is someone you’ve never met before, who just walked up to you and said it.
+Has happened to me in the library of all places. It was a geeky guy and he asked me out twice I think. I decided to turn him down. =/</p>
<p>–The guy said it in the process of otherwise meeting you.
+Ummm… Strange.</p>
<p>–The guy said it after having met you previously, but having not known you any more than that.
+Stranger…</p>
<p>–The guy was a minor acquaintance, who you’ve talked to in class before a couple of times, but nothing beyond that.
+Eh… Kinda cute… But I’d rather get to know a guy before he says something like that. XD</p>
<p>I prefer talking and getting to know someone before anything like that comes out…</p>
You probably ruined his self confidence. He now has a fear of rejection problem, and will never have the courage to ask a girl out again. The closest thing he will have to a girlfriend will be a robot he programs to say “I love you” and other similar sentiments. He will die without ever being loved. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY.</p>
<p>Girls say that other girls are pretty to be complimentary and friendly.
Then there are guys telling other guys that they are hot/smexy, but this has an extremely joking/sarcastic/friendly tone to it, and is never seen more than a joke. Mostly said in big groups, less in a one on one situation.
Finally, there is the guy telling a girl situation. This rarely happens, as it’s almost like a secret rule of HS to never say it. If it is ever blurted out, chances are, it was sarcasm or intended as a joke. Not a joke in the sense that they are not actually pretty, but given the context of its use, it would be a joke.</p>
<p>It’s almost intriguing that such is the case, where girls can say it to girls, and guys can say it to guys, and yet guys can’t say it to girls and vice versa. Especially when you think about the whole gay marriage debate and stuff going on about LGBT rights and what not. </p>
<p>But, I guess it’s just all HS stuff and the unwillingness to pretty much outright say that you like someone.</p>
<p>–The guy is someone you’ve never met before, who just walked up to you and said it.
He’s playing truth or dare with his friends, or is the kind of guy who uses it as a random pick-up-ish line.</p>
<p>–The guy said it in the process of otherwise meeting you.
Slightly awkward. A bit unexpected and very direct, but it’s like, “Thank you” and then the conversation moves on.</p>
<p>–The guy said it after having met you previously, but having not known you any more than that.
Also awkward. Maybe trying to start a conversation. Doesn’t mean anything but could’ve used a different choice of words.</p>
<p>–The guy was a minor acquaintance, who you’ve talked to in class before a couple of times, but nothing beyond that.
Depends on the context, but I’d get paranoid (I’m more so than most though) and think he was testing me about something or thought I had low self-esteem and wanted to act nice.</p>
<p>Many girls would rather hear something idiosyncratic to themselves or their personality complimented.
Also, no matter how well one knows the subject, even minor changes in facial expression and context (e.g. ‘that headband looks good on you’ is a lot more socially acceptable than ‘you’re pretty’) can change how awkward it is.</p>
<p>Anyway, to see an actual response, I told a girl that she was pretty. I was waiting for a restroom (these were unisex restrooms), and as the girl came out, I told her she was pretty. I didn’t realize at the time how much more awkward that would have made it saying it to someone exiting a restroom, but whatever. She said “thanks” and continued on.</p>
<p>By the way, it was spontaneous, I hadn’t planned it. Also, she was infact very pretty. </p>
<p>No clue what she was thinking, but I imagine it was probably weird.</p>
<p>If it’s sincere I’ll take it, I’m not obsessed with being flattered though.
And if it was a guy friend (or any guy I was pretty casual with) I’d just accept it in a casual way.</p>
<p>I’d be flattered in all instances, the most flattered in the cases in which I know the guy the best. (I’m assuming this wasn’t said in a sarcastic voice–and I’m pretty good at detecting sarcasm.) I can’t tell you what that girl was thinking, but even if she was a little freaked out, there’s no way she wasn’t at least a little happy about it. Keep up the random compliments :)</p>
<p>Yes. A stranger would not talk to you unless he had some reason to. Considering he doesn’t know you, it’s unlikely any comment could be genuine. Thus, the only reason would be to make fun of you, and call you pretty sarcastically to falsely mislead in to having a slightly inflated ego for all of 10 seconds.</p>
<p>Oh, there were a couple more that I didn’t post yet…</p>
<p>One girl I said was pretty, and she replied with something like “okay” but all I really remember was how awful her voice was. She had some East coast (like New York or New Jersey or something) accent. Just that stereotypical “eastern whiny annoying *****” voice. I just ignored her and hoped that she would go mute so no one would have to hear that voice again. It was especially awful because she was Asian and I didn’t know Asians could even sound like that. </p>
<p>Another girl I said had pretty eyes, and she said “Uhhhh… Okay… Ummm… Thanks… Ummm… I guess…” She looked like she would have run away but we were on a bus.</p>