Puffer

Yes, a sound analysis. And Joe might agree that the shoe design and construction is what one might expect from an engineer who had been told 'Make a pair of shoes with very high and thin heels.'.

'Mary spent more than an hour with her make-up before going out on her special date. She killed the look with extra blue eyeshadow.' So, did she improve her appearance or ruin it? (No peeping allowed.)

I am not immune to the use of slang or idiom - in its place. But I have learned to avoid it in both personal or professional communication in contexts where it might be misunderstood or inappropriate I think we have both lost sight of the point here. It was not so much the secondary meaning of 'slay' (with which I am slightly acquainted) but that of 'kill' in the apparent sense quoted by Cali as in 'you killed the look'. What I cannot understand is that usage in the implied sense of met or fulfilled; it seems to me that anything 'killed' has been, at best, spoiled or stopped and at worst totally destroyed. That point was not answered. It may be commonplace for words or phrases to take on what are effectively opposite meanings in street parlance (e.g. wicked = good) but that is not to say that they should be universally adopted, especially when accuracy is required. I can think of many historic examples where imprecise or inverted language has caused real confusion, sometimes dangerously.

I am well aware of your residence and occupation - and that you grew up overseas. Communication was a large part of my career too but has not embraced slang or idiomatic expressions in great depth, I am pleased to say. The dictionary may well include the secondary definitions you mention but that is not to say that they will be used and understood as universally as you suggest. I accept that the meanings exist, but not their appeal.

... or the fitness/energy and affordable insurance!

Not in the UK, at least with people who endeavour to communicate effectively.

Sad, but true! I agree that inhibitions diminish with age, if only because (especially after retirement) we are no longer obliged to conform and obey or impress to the same extent. When I first wore cuban heels outside, some 15 years ago, I thought that the sky would fall on me. Now, I know it is simply a question of whether a visible 4" heel is too much.

Surely today's women in general do indeed display confidence whenever they go out, after dressing and putting on make-up etc as the mood takes them? The confidence that they have chosen a look that, almost regardless of how offbeat or flamboyant (or otherwise) it might be, will be acceptable to the world at large and not give rise to any significant adverse comment, let alone ridicule or persecution. The same certainly cannot be said to be true for a man who, if he strays outside a pretty narrow avenue of convention in his appearance, will excite questioning and probably negative reaction from most people who see him. We expect women to have a free hand and to show off - we do not expect men to do so.

If you say so, but I cannot infer anything other than negative connotations in the concept of 'killing' anything (or anyone). After all, if there is a discussion going on and someone or something interrupts it, that event may be said to 'kill the conversation', i.e. bring it to an abrupt end.

Likewise!

So, are you saying that the comment 'You always slay with your heels' meant that you were considered to have killed (i.e. spoiled/ruined) your appearance by wearing heels? That is not what I inferred from your original post but can't see any other interpretation of 'kill that look'. I recall, some years ago, drafting a complex commercial agreement for a colleague to present to a potential customer. Afterwards, I asked her how the presentation had gone and was told 'They were cool with it'. I assumed that this meant lukewarm or indifferent, at best, although she actually meant that they were content. Two parties divided by a common language!

An interesting read, with some thoughtful comments. But I wish he had said what he means by 'US size 13' - men's or women's? It is not that difficult to find women's styles of footwear in size USW13, but not at all easy in USM13 (= USW15).

True enough, although there are often comments about incorrect sizes (or even mismatched pairs) being sent out. And that seems to be even more prevalent with US and other overseas customers, perhaps because of poor conversion (by either party) of ASOS's somewhat inconsistent sizes. It helps to read the reviews before ordering a particular item although (strangely) there are very few apparent for 'men's' footwear, at least on the UK website.

That is an interesting thought. In the UK, one might sometimes hear 'you slay me', or similar. (An informal use; not one in my lexicon.) The accepted meaning of 'slay' in this context appears to be 'to greatly impress or amuse (someone)' and I assume that this is what was intended in Cali's encounter. However, the past tense ('slew') takes on a very different meaning in UK slang, where it apparently means 'to make a public mockery of someone through insult or wit'. I can see therefore the impossibility of proper comprehension if Cali's commentator had said: 'You always slay with your heels' (= 'I'm impressed') and he had then told us: 'The woman said that I slew her because of my heel wearing' (= Cali had allegedly made a mockery of her). Two very different messages. It would be sensible to refrain from vague slang in such circumstances, quite aside from any possible differences between US and UK usage. Let 'slay' (in all tenses) mean just 'kill with violence'.

Which style/size, please? And how do you find them?