cutsie or cutesie?

How does one spell the word Cutsie/Cutesie?

  • Cutesy: 1,300,000 google results
  • Cutsie: 409,000 results
  • Cutezee: 351,000 results
  • Cutesie: 208,000 results
  • Cutsey: 163,000 results
  • Cutesie la-tootsie: 1 result (this very blog post)
  • Cütesîe: 0 results

Google results for cutsie, cutesie, and cutesy

Three observations:

  1. Cutesy is the clear-cut cute winner.
  2. Cutezee makes an odd appearance in the rankings.
  3. What about cutsie and cutesie?

Google searches

People google cutsie WAY more than cutesy. Take a look at this Google Trends chart:

cutsie dominates google trends

Cutesie doesn’t even register on the searches.

When we turn to books, the results become very interesting.

Books

Cutesie vs cutsie in books

Cutesie in books:
Cutesie started appearing in books in about 1960. Then in 1970, cutesie hit the sharp upward trend and started appearing in books much more. Cutesie hit its peak in 1976.

Cutsie in books:
Cutsie lagged behind six years by making it’s first appearance in books in 1966. In 1976, it also experienced a spike upward, six years after cutesie’s spike.

Today cutsie appears in more books than cutesie. In fact, cutsie had its height in 2004.

cutesy use in books

Cutesy in books:
Compare cutesy against our other two words, and it totally demolishes them in appearances. Cutesy had its start in 1939, and rose up quickly in the mid 1960s. The peak of all cutesy was in 2003. Since then, cutesy has started to wane.

Etymology

Cutesie, cutsie are not in the etymology dictionary. But cutsey is:

“artificially or annoyingly cute,” by 1968, from cute (adj.).

It makes sense that cutsey comes from the word cute. What is the origin of cute? Etymonline says:

1731, “clever,” shortening of acute; informal sense of “pretty” is 1834, American English student slang. Related: Cuteness.

The pretty part makes sense. Even the clever part. When someone is being a smartbutt, you say, “stop being so cute.”  But the shortening of acute is rather interesting. So “cute” actually comes from the word “acute.” What is the origin of acute?

acute (adj.)Look up acute at Dictionary.comlate 14c., originally of fevers and diseases, “coming and going quickly” (opposed to a chronic), from Latin acutus “sharp, pointed,” figuratively “shrill, penetrating; intelligent, cunning,” past participle of acuere“sharpen” (see acuity). Meaning “sharp, irritating” is from early 15c. Meaning “intense” is from 1727. Related: Acutely; acuteness.

Wow, trace back the word “cute” and it comes from fevers and diseases. Something that is sharp and pointed. That does NOT sound cute at all. Unless if you are talking about baby porcupines.

cute baby porcupine with soft quills

But even then, their quills are much less sharp when they are young.

Urbandictionary

Anytime you are speaking of words, of course, you have to head to urbandictionary for their tongue-in-cheek definitions.

  • Cutesy: To be a Cutesy; The way in which a chat room user, often a girl, will speak in order to make herself appear to be more cute. (176 likes)
  • Cutsie: abreviation for cute-seee (26 likes)
  • Cutezee: no definitions!
  • Cutesie: A girl who is very very cute, adorable and caught your eye. Being cute with a oomph. (22 likes)
  • Cutsey: no definitions!

Instagram results

Cutesy rocks the top. Cutsie and cutesie are pretty much in a dead tie. Cutezee is nearly non-existent.

  • #cutesy; 58,894 times used on instagram
  • #cutsie: 18,073
  • #cutezee: 59
  • #cutesie: 15,232
  • #cutsey: 5,218

Summary for usage

Cutesy ranks #1. Cutsie is #2. Cutesie is #3. I find it odd that cutsie is #2, because it seems like a typo.

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13 Comments
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laura k.
laura k.
19 years ago

Cutesy.

laura k.
laura k.
19 years ago

why are you asking, spud? do you have someone to be calling “cutesy”?

Tom Saaristo
19 years ago

I’m trying to remove all this from my head so I can accurately spell it CUTESY

Dave Rothkopf
Dave Rothkopf
19 years ago

I think Laura K is onto it. “Cutesy” … and I originally told Matt “cutsie.” I concede. -D

unlikelymoose
19 years ago

cutezay

laura k.
laura k.
19 years ago

“cutsi” sounds like someone who cuts themselves a lot.

Tom Saaristo
19 years ago

And what exactly is [i”>it[/i”> describing? Now you have my curiosity up. While Cutesy is proper, I’m beginning to think you want the word itself to also look cute [which means it will be in print?”> Then I’m back with you on your original cutesie.

unlikelymoose
19 years ago

how about cutesie la-tootsie?

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