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1[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tomboy.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:275:No GirlyGirl here...]]
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4%% Quote removed per thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1327331003042025100
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6Derived from the term "tomcat" for a male cat, the Tomboy is a major character archetype and yet is also a somewhat vague concept, and it is associated with the gender variance/nonconformity.
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8A '''tomboy''' is a girl who has tastes and behaviors usually associated with boys. Because these associations are culture-dependent and tend to change, what exactly constitutes a "Tomboy" is subjective. Especially historically, any girl interested in science, [[WrenchWench vehicle mechanics]], house and/or building construction and/or renovation, [[PassionateSportsGirl sports]],[[note]]especially outside of designated "girls' sports" like tennis, gymnastics, figure skating, volleyball or cheerleading (which many people do not regard as a sport, despite being recognised as one by the International Olympic Committee)[[/note]] or [[ActionGirl combat]] has been called tomboyish.
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10However, even where gender roles are relatively lax or fluid, choices made regarding media consumption, recreation, and fashion, remain segregated for the most part. Thus the Tomboy remains a current figure and a popular one for various reasons: A woman might chafe at how "femininity" limits her choices and find a like-minded heroine empowering; boys might find a girl who [[OtakuSurrogate likes the things they do]] more relatable. Tomboys are often seen as a great way to appeal to both male and female demographics with the same characters. For still others, a love of Tomboys may have nothing to do with their opinion on gender. The audience finds (minor) transgressions of accepted roles "cute" or funny. A great deal of media takes this latter position, sometimes presenting the Tomboy as sympathetic but, in the end, immature or even troubled.
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12In the story, justifications also vary. Some girls might just enjoy doing boyish things more. Perhaps she's DaddysGirl and so wants to do things with him. A similar possibility is that she was RaisedByDudes. Maybe she has no brothers and so the father raises his daughter the way he would a son. It could be that she has no sisters but [[IHaveBrothers several brothers]], and to be included with them she engages in boyish activities. Or maybe she is socially awkward and simply wants to go somewhere where she thinks the awkwardness will be accepted because she is a "foreign visitor" anyway.
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14While Tomboys are subject to {{Flanderization}}, according to which they all hate "girly things" (like [[PinkMeansFeminine the color pink]], dressing up, playing house, shopping), many in RealLife simply happen to fall outside of gender norms in a few respects; aside from these "quirks", a Tomboy might also have [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak "feminine" interests]]. Even if she doesn't, she need not have any antipathy toward those who do. Indeed, [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl her best friend may be]] a GirlyGirl. There are generally two types of tomboys, depending on their degree of masculinity vs. femininity:
15# '''Butch Tomboy''' tends to be very masculine, to the point of actually being "manly", and has very few, if any, feminine qualities and interests. She may also hate anything that is girly and feminine, such as the color pink.
16# '''Effeminate Tomboy''' tends to be fairly masculine, but not overly masculine, nor overly feminine either, although she does not necessarily hate traditionally "girly" things. Most of her qualities and interests are masculine, while some of her qualities and interests are feminine as well.
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18Between the two types of tomboys, the effeminate tomboy is considered somewhat more socially acceptable than the butch tomboy. Keep in mind that our views of gender have actually changed over time, and some traits which now might be considered masculine or feminine, actually weren't in the past, so this is mostly only valid for modern characters. And also keep in mind that just because a girl is a tomboy does not necessarily mean that she is a [[ButchLesbian lesbian]], they're split into three types, such as straight, gay, and bisexual.
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20The outcome of the Tomboy's character arc tends to indicate the intended {{Aesop}}. If the Tomboy doesn't "grow out of it," or find her inner femininity, this suggests that gender and sexuality boundaries are more permeable and that transgressing these boundaries is acceptable. If, on the other hand, a Tomboy needs to be normalized in some way, this implies that her Tomboyish appearance or traits are somehow problematic. Consequently, Tomboyish traits can serve as an exploration of gender and sexuality. If there is a contrast between the two types of tomboys listed above, the media, more often than not, usually portrays the type 2 effeminate tomboy as the "better" type of tomboy. A more butch Tomboy may grow into TheLadette, while a more feminine one may grow up into a relatable GirlNextDoor.
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23"Tomboy" as a term for a girl who acts like a stereotypical boy is OlderThanSteam, having been first given that meaning in 1592. Previously, "tomboy" referred to an especially boisterous boy. Considering [[Myth/ClassicalMythology the goddess Artemis]] could fairly be described as a tomboy, the trope itself is at least OlderThanFeudalism. However, the definite golden age of literary tomboys was the period around the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a trend that essentially began with ''Literature/LittleWomen''[='s=] Jo March, making her something of a TropeCodifier, and extended through TheGreatDepression or so. In the 21st century, with gender norms gradually becoming less strict, the idea of the tomboy has started to fade (although it's still a long way from disappearing entirely), while the TomboyWithAGirlyStreak and GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak have become more common. However, the traditional tomboy isn't quite dead yet in the public eye; in fact [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tomboy tomboys have had a massive resurgence in meme culture]], being idealized as spunky, cheerful women whose OneOfTheBoys status is considered a ''positive'' that gives the desired romance a BFF dimension.
24----
25!!Tropes
26[[index]]
27* AcademicAthlete: If the character is female, there's a good chance that she is a tomboy, especially if she's more focused on the "athlete" part of the trope.
28* ActionGirl: Physical violence and a willingness to get rough tends to be a Tomboy trait as are being good with guns or swords. However, a LadyOfWar is never a tomboy since her appeal is being strong ''and'' feminine in the battlefield. {{Cute Bruiser}}s often qualify -- being a Tomboy doesn't mean you can't be {{Moe}} (see {{Bokukko}}).
29* ActionGirlfriend: The tomboy who fights is the male character's girlfriend.
30* AllAmazonsWantHercules: Some tough tomboys are attracted to men who are tougher than them.
31* AmazonBrigade: Some examples of this could be [[TheTeam a team]] full of Tomboys. Check the page.
32* AmazonChaser: A boy who is attracted to a girl because of her tomboyish fighting ability. (Others may, at first, consider this [[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon a huge turnoff]].)
33* AmazonianBeauty: A girl whose tomboyish bulk is considered a key factor in her attractiveness.
34* BaldHeadOfToughness: If a female character rocks one of these, there's a high chance she's a tomboy because LongHairIsFeminine.
35* {{Bifauxnen}}: A masculine girl who looks like an [[{{Bishonen}} androgynous pretty boy]].
36* BifauxnenAndLadette: Two women whose masculine traits act as a contrast to one another.
37* {{Bokukko}}: Definition-only page. In Japan, [[ExpositoryPronoun a tomboyish girl who shows it off]] by referring to herself with the male versions of UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns and UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics. May lead to PronounTrouble. There is an analogous grammatical behavior among Hindi-speaking tomboys in India: they use masculine inflections on adjectives and certain verbs (e.g. ''rahaa'' vs ''rahee'') that refer to themselves as if they were male speakers. That is not as jarring as in Japanese, but it sounds peculiar.
38* BoyishShortHair: A tomboy who wears her hair short because LongHairIsFeminine.
39* BraidsOfAction: A common hairstyle for tomboys.
40* BrawnHilda: A tomboy whose bulk, mannish looks, and strength make her unattractive.
41* TheBully: If a female character is this, she's usually a tomboy, especially if she threatens people physically. The girly counterpart is AlphaBitch.
42* ButchLesbian: Tomboys are often stereotyped as attracted to women exclusively, but there are ones that just happen to exclusively like other women.
43* ContraltoOfStrength: Tomboys are identified by having voices that are lower than other women.
44* {{Crossdresser}}: Often a way of showing that a girl is a Tomboy is to write her as preferring to wear pants and other boy clothes, and being uncomfortable in dresses and skirts. This is particularly true in cultures that have decidedly different male and female dress codes. While a man dressing as a woman can be [[{{Squick}} jarring]], a woman dressing as a man [[MostWritersAreMale is often]] considered intriguing. But if it reaches {{Bifauxnen}} levels, then you've probably moved out of the Tomboy spectrum. Tomboys are usually identifiable as girls, even if they are wearing boy clothes.
45* DeadpanSnarker: The snark is a common trait, mostly associated with tomboys.
46* EarthyBarefootCharacter: In addition to the general preference for going barefoot, some tomboys (especially of the OutdoorsyGal variant) also connect themselves to nature by doing so.
47* FarmersDaughter: A tomboy from a rural area.
48* FemaleMisogynist: There are some tomboys who antagonize feminine women.
49* FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter: A tomboy has a conventionally feminine mother.
50* FemininityFailure: An unfeminine character who tries to be feminine but can't pull it off.
51* FieryRedhead: Some tomboys commonly have red hair to fit their aggressive and temperamental demeanors.
52* GamerChick: Girls who like video games are often considered tomboys.
53* {{Gasshole}}: Girls who are unabashedly gassy are often considered tomboys since it would be considered unladylike for girls to burp or fart.
54* GirlinessUpgrade: When a tomboy decided to become more of a GirlyGirl. A possible result is her going back to being a tomboy if she or another character decides she's better [[JustTheWayYouAre the way she was]].
55* GirlishPigtails: Braided tails have a more Tomboy connotation.
56* GirlNextDoor: While the girl next door is no more likely to be a Tomboy than any other character, Tomboys are very often the Girl Next Door. This might be because MostWritersAreMale and when a boy is younger, the girl he is most likely to interact with will be a Tomboy (since other girls prefer doing girly things).
57* GirlyBruiser: A girly ActionGirl. While this character is not necessarily a GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak and a tomboyish personality, she often is, especially if she has an aggressive fighting style (unlike a LadyOfWar) and [[BloodKnight gets revelrous enjoyment out of fighting]]. If she has a girly personality, however, even if she is an Action Girl, she is [[MartialPacifist less likely to enjoy fighting]], [[ToWinWithoutFighting and will try to resort to other methods to resolve conflicts]], before resorting to violence.
58* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: When a girly girl exhibits some traits of a tomboy.
59* GoGetterGirl: This is a girl who's passionate (and often stubborn) about reaching the desired goal of something other than the traditionally feminine homemaking. She doesn't have to be a Tomboy, but her headstrong personality and lack of passivity make her a subversion of the notion that WomenAreDelicate. If she's also very cutthroat and competitive, she's even more likely to be a Tomboy or have a tomboyish streak.
60* GroinAttack: Tomboys will sometimes deliver these to male characters. If it's in anger or during a fight, the implication is that despite her taste and behaviour, the tomboy is still not male. If she inflicts it for a laugh, this simple but cruel prank is supposed to demonstrate a "masculine" sense of humour.
61* {{Hackette}}: The techie sister of the WrenchWench. STEM fields, or even simply being technologically savvy, are assumed to be a "male" thing, so a female character being revealed as a hacker comes as a surprise.
62* HairTriggerTemper: Tomboys are sometimes prone to being angry because anger is usually associated with masculinity.
63* HatesBeingCalledCute: Tomboys don't like being called "cute" by others, usually because the word is associated with being girly, [[TomboyWithAGirlyStreak though there are some exceptions.]]
64* HatesWearingDresses: Many tomboys hate wearing skirts and/or dresses for various reasons, ranging from a dislike of "girly" things to a dislike of unpractical things.
65* IHaveBrothers: A tomboy who is good at manly things because of her brother(s) influence.
66* IAmNotPretty: A common plot element is for tomboys to grow up believing guys aren't into them because they're either unattractive, or not feminine enough compared to other girls.
67* TheLadette: Usually a Tomboy is not as sexualized as a Ladette, but the ideas do have some [[SisterTrope overlap]]. She's a girl with the personality of a frat boy.
68* LadyLooksLikeADude: A tomboy who looks like a man.
69* LethalChef: [[FeminineWomenCanCook Poor cooking skills]] often are connected with Tomboys (which she can find frustrating when trying to invoke ThroughHisStomach).
70* LovingBully: It's common for a tomboy to be a bully to a male character they secretly have a crush on.
71* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: When the [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide sensitive guy]] and the Tomboy pair up, [[OppositesAttract romantically or platonically]].
72* NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: Tomboys are sometimes portrayed as having trouble with relationships since guys often feel intimidated by a girl who's better at doing guy stuff than they are. [[AmazonChaser At first; they might consider it awesome afterward.]]
73* NotLikeOtherGirls: Tomboys often grow up thinking this because of their isolation from their more conventionally feminine counterparts.
74* OneOfTheBoys: Tomboys often pal around with male friends instead of having female friends. They play male games (baseball instead of softball), and might even be accepted as just "one of the boys". She might be rude and use crude or less-refined slang like a boy. She spits, bleeds, and plays in the dirt, without caring about getting dirty. She'd never say something like "I broke a nail"... unless the context is something like "Aw, ''dammit'', I broke a nail."
75* OtakuSurrogate: Similar to the GamerChick example, girls who like comic books are often deemed Tomboys.
76* OutdoorsyGal: A girl who would rather play outside than inside.
77* PassionateSportsGirl: A girl passionate about male-oriented sports.
78* PetitePride: If she has small breasts and doesn't display any [[TomboyAngst signs of]] [[ACupAngst angst]], she is likely to be a tomboy.
79* ThePigPen: [[GuysAreSlobs Since boys are stereotyped as being unhygienic]], and girls being stereotyped as being [[NeatFreak neat freaks]], a girl that is fine with or even prefers being dirty and stinky would definitely be considered tomboys, [[HatesBaths especially if she refuses to clean herself off]]. However, this is a prime example of {{Flanderization}}, as most Real Life Tomboys are still somewhat hygienic, usually.
80* PirateGirl: A girl who happens to be a tough pirate.
81* PrefersGoingBarefoot: Like many {{girly girl}}s, a lot of tomboys tend to enjoy going barefoot whenever they see opportunities to do so.
82* RaisedByDudes: A girl grew up surrounded by masculine role models (father, uncles, older brothers, etc) and becomes like them for lack of a feminine role model.
83* RealWomenDontWearDresses: The character doesn't necessarily have to be a tomboy in order to be strong and capable, but many of the ones who fall victim to this trope are.
84* SheCleansUpNicely: If a Tomboy ever ends up stuffed into a dress, this is likely to be the result. Sometimes part of a BeautifulAllAlong plot point. Can sometimes lead to an UnnecessaryMakeover.
85* {{Shorttank}}: A common type of Tomboy portrayed in various media.
86* SirSwearsALot: If a girl or woman swears, she's often considered a tomboy because it's unladylike for her to swear.
87* SpiritedYoungLady: A complex variant of this. A confident high-class woman who can bend The Rules without quite breaking them. Maintains a feminine mystique while often having some tomboyish characteristics and tastes.
88* StrongGirlSmartGuy: In a pair of BrainsAndBrawn, a tomboyish ActionGirl will be the brawn while her male partner is the brains.
89* TheSquadette: A tomboy in the military.
90* SweetPollyOliver: A girl dresses as a boy to do something only boys are allowed to do.
91* TankTopTomboy: When a tank top is an indicator of a tomboyish female.
92* TenderTomboyishnessFoulFemininity: A [[NiceGuy nice]] Tomboy contrasting with a {{Jerkass}} GirlyGirl.
93* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Another way a Tomboy can be identified is through comparison to a girlier female character.
94* TomboyAngst: She secretly hates being identified as a tomboy.
95* TomboyishBaseballCap: A girl can be identified as a tomboy by just wearing a baseball cap, especially if she likes playing baseball.
96* TomboyishName: A MeaningfulName can often identify a Tomboy -- and who knows, it might even cause her to be a Tomboy. Tomboys with girly names often insist on more masculine or neutral nicknames.
97* TomboyishPonytail: Another common hairstyle for tomboys.
98* TomboyishVoice: A tomboy with a deep or raspy voice.
99* TomboynessUpgrade: A girly girl becomes more tomboyish as time goes on.
100* TomboyPrincess: A tomboy who happens to be a royal daughter.
101* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: A tomboy with possibly a girly interest or two.
102* TownGirls: A trio has one tomboy (Butch), one girly girl (Femme) and one that doesn't fit into either category (Neither).
103* {{Tsundere}}: This goes all the way back to schoolyard romances. A boy will often have a hard time [[CannotSpitItOut expressing his feelings]] to the girl he likes, and will instead dip her pigtails in the ink bottle, or stick frogs in her desk. When a girl acts similarly and shoves, hits, or is otherwise aggressive towards a boy who's caught her interest, she might be labeled a Tomboy. (Or in some cases, a girl who's already considered a tomboy being aggressive towards a guy will often be assumed to mean she has a crush on the guy.) The mixture of self-confidence and insecurity is also often a Tomboy trait.
104* UnkemptBeauty: Tomboys tend to be less obsessed with their appearance than girly girls. Sometimes, this works to their advantage.
105* UnwillinglyGirlyTomboy: A tomboy who reluctantly wears girly clothes or is involved in feminine activities.
106* UsedToBeATomboy: A character who is a girly girl who used to be a tomboy in the past (overlaps with GirlinessUpgrade).
107* VasquezAlwaysDies: In a story of two {{Action Girl}}s, the tougher and less feminine one is killed or injured.
108* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: A tomboy who will beat the crap out of anyone who would harm her boyfriend. Double points if he's a NonActionGuy.
109* WantedAGenderConformingChild: A tomboy's parents want her to be more feminine.
110* WeaknessTurnsHerOn: Some tomboys are attracted to boys who are weaker than them or at least submissive.
111* WrenchWench: Girly Girls are usually not covered in grease.
112[[/index]]
113----
114Having one of these attributes doesn't necessarily make a girl a Tomboy. Depending on local norms, a girly girl may have some of these traits, and the variety of Tomboys is great enough that no one trait can be called essential.
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116Even "local norms" are inconsistent. Consider for example Ukyou and Akane from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Akane is repeatedly identified as a bit of a Tomboy, while Ukyou gets the label of "cute fiancé". Yet they both share several of the traits above. (This is probably an intentional discrepancy within the story). In the end, definition is impossible, and identifying a Tomboy comes down to "knowing it when one sees it" (though the quality of this "knowledge" is dubious).
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118'''No examples for this page, please.''' Put all your examples under one of the various traits associated with Tomboys. If we don't have a subtrope for your specific Tomboy please feel free to use the TLP to create a trope for it.
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120The SpearCounterpart tropes are InTouchWithHisFeminineSide or Sensitive Guy or Tomgirl, for a male who does things which are considered 'girly' and OtokonokoGenre (also called and known as "Tomgirl" in the West), a Japanese genre for men about male {{crossdresser}}s.
121
122Compare MasculinityTropes.

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