(Noun) Term used to describe an unlucky or unsuccessful individual. Can be used in a range of situations.
"Ryan failed his econ midterm, lost his intramural game while tearing his ACL, and struck out with Steph last night at the party."
"Wow, that dude's a pale snail."
A cheeky reference to heroines of Victorian operas and novels, who frequently became ill -- but not so ill they can't remain both romantically tragic and, above all, beautiful. Usually they have tuberculosis (TB), which allows for dramatic coughing up of blood, tender goodbyes with devastated lovers, and a ROBUST aria right before she perishes. Somehow the fact that she's dying of an airborne disease never deters anyone from seeking out her intimate company. She's got this charming pink glow to her fevered cheeks that no gentleman can resist...
Authors of these stories love to wax rhapsodic about the heroine's "milky" or "alabaster" skin, and the sicker she gets the more exquisitely white she becomes! While modern readers may wonder why anyone would want to make love to a woman the same color as chalk, bleach, or the cliffs of Dover, the Victorians were very turned on by these connotations of racial purity. Nowadays such descriptions are considered purple prose, and if not outright racist then certainly in very poor taste.
The phrase "pale and interesting" is an oxymoron that mocks both the silliness and melodrama of this trope. You may feel sick as a dog, but hey, some uptight people with weird hang-ups around sex find that attractive! Lucky you!
See TVTropes.com's "Victorian Novel Disease" for a detailed description of the source material.
"I'm still nauseas, I'm just going to lie on this couch looking pale and interesting and hope hot person comes to talk to me."
"You definitely have a fever, but on the bright side you're looking very pale and interesting draped across that bed."
"This isn't a swoon, my arms and legs feel like wet noodles."
"Sexy."
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The phrase "beyond the pale" dates back to the 14th century, when the part of Ireland that was under English rule was delineated by a boundary made of such stakes or fences, and known as the English Pale. To travel outside of that boundary, beyond the pale, was to leave behind all the rules and institutions of English society, which the English modestly considered synonymous with civilization itself.
Source: www.word-detective.com
His comment went beyond the pale of respect. It was vulgar.
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1. Beer with semen in it;
2. A great party gag;
3. Unique source of protein and carbohydrates;
ca. βAmerican Pieβ (1999)
βHey Stifler, howβs the PALE ALE?β
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1. A pale is an old term for a fencepost or a fence, thus a barrier. Those within the barrier were civilized because it was usually a large building, castle, tract of land, or town. Those outside the barrier, or "beyond the pale", were uncivilized and not under control.
2. Outside the bounds of acceptable behavior.
"This scallywag's actions are beyond the pale."
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A person who thinks he is blacker that 2pac... But he's paler than The Milky-Bar Kid.
Look at Deacon, he's such a pale coon.
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Person 1: Oh my gosh, look how pale Josh is!!
Person 2: Woahhhhh, He is actually soooo pale!!
Person 1: He is SUCH a pale petunia!!!