"and carries a common definition in the English space of being polite and non derogatory." Not really. It's always been somewhat condescending. "Had she been

"and carries a common definition in the English space of being polite and non derogatory." Not really. It's always been somewhat condescending. "Had she been male my comment would be exactly the same except it would say 'dude' in place of 'chick'." Dude, and in fact many euphemisms for men, don't carry the same connotations as the ones for women.