My gender therapist told me this in response to something I said referencing my chest. It was a while ago but it’s stuck with me. I’m wondering what you all think of this comment? The comment felt disqualifying, like I was less male for calling my chest a “breast”, or I would be seen as less male because of it, but I can be pretty sensitive so I might be overthinking and she might be right that men don’t talk like that.
I thought I was a man for most of my life and I’ve only ever heard a man refer to another male’s upper chest as a breast, in a non-insulting way one time.
It was Mark Twain in some book. It sounded weird and antiquated to my ear like a lot of the language his books.
Its not common in the modern american english I have encountered. You should speak how you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Not because it would clock you, but because there are plenty of insecure men out there who might take offense to it.
edit: third time trying to rewrite the first sentence probably got it right this time.