For the record, I was never called as having a homely faced, its just a concept I found to be interesting and I thought I would do some "research". Abraham Lincoln was called "homely".
I think it means being somehow whithout "glamour", somehow very simple and straighforward, with no "sparkles". Maybe???
I think you've summarised it pretty well.
Even though 'homely' is generally used as something of a negative comment about appearance, I would say that I like homely people. Indeed, for whatever reason, there are a lot of male youths in Sydney, Australia who look as though they shape their eyebrows, over-gel their hair, have carefully maintained stubble, etc. These young men make me uncomfortable - I don't think it has a connection with gay culture, but there is something very off-putting when you go to pay for petrol/gas and the guy at the register looks as though he spends at least 2 hours a day in front of a mirror.
My next door neighbour told me recently that even when she's seen me in my bathrobe, obviously just having woken up, that I look formal and handsome. She thinks I am incapable of looking casual. I now have a mini-complex going on about wanting to be more casual and homely. I think my neigbour likes messing with my head.
Here homely is not a good thing - it's a nice way of saying ugly. I'm pretty sure if someone called me homely I would punch them in the face and say "now you're homely too".
What the heck is a homely face? Some people take it to mean ugly. Some people take it to mean plain but kindly. And apparently, other people take it to mean old. I always wondered. Is there a universal definition?
Does anyone have pictures?
Niffer told me that once. She could be right. Was it niffer?
No one answered my question
Is there really no universal definition for homely? This one of those things that, when you look it up in the dictionary, there should be a picture of someone's face.