: Before it meant "attractive," the OED notes it often meant being "engrossed in sex" or "sex-obsessed". The shift toward "sexually attractive" became common by the early 1920s.

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Conversely, reality TV has weaponized the term. On The Real Housewives franchise, the word "lady" is deployed sarcastically. When a cast member says, "Be a lady," she usually means "stop yelling, sit down, and hide your anger." The drama erupts precisely because these women refuse the passive definition of "ladies." The "ladies meaning" in reality entertainment is now synonymous with —watching rich women try (and fail) to act proper.