Students sometimes use coded language or oblique language to discuss others' appearance. There are several reasons for this: 1. **Avoid direct harm**: Direct comments about others' appearance may be seen as impolite or offensive, and using coded language can circumvent this directness to a certain extent. 2. **Social group identity**: Using specific coded language can help build a sense of identity within a group and hide the content of the discussion from outsiders, thereby enhancing the intimacy and exclusivity within the group. 3. **Avoid detection or punishment**: In school or other social settings, direct comments on others' appearance may incur negative feedback from school rules or social environments. Using coded language can reduce the risk of being discovered by teachers or other authority figures. As for the specific coded language students may use, this often varies depending on the culture, school environment and language background. Here are a few common examples: - Using codes or numbers, such as giving a score to someone ("she's a 7"), which may refer to appearance but on the surface appear to be just unrelated numbers. - Using metaphors or specific "code names" to refer to specific features, such as "pumpkin" may be used to describe a round face. - Use euphemisms instead of direct descriptions, such as saying a person is "distinctive" rather than commenting directly on physical flaws. The specific use and connotations of these codes may vary in different contexts, so specific examples often require some knowledge of specific groups and their language habits.