"guys" - an acceptable form of address for women?

[BelleCurve]

Is this appropriate/acceptable ever to use for a team of women/mixed? Does it matter if the person saying it is male or female?

I am trying to think of an improvement, but "ladies" or "girls" is even worse

[colditz]

can't see the issue with Ladies.

[Anniek]

If I'm talking to a mixed group I normally say "people".

In the past I've worked mostly with men but did have a couple of women in my team, but I'd never refer to the whole group as "guys" as I think it would imply the women didn't exist or didn't matter to the point I was trying to make.

[Absolutelyfabulous]

I like Peeps best but don't have a big issue with guys providing the company is mixed.

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I call any group of people I'm friends with 'guys' I don' see a problem.

[SueSylvesterforPM]

I say guys, ladies etc dont see a problem

[SardineQueen]

Generally I feel that it doesn't matter one jot and I have been known to say guys.

But then I think, language is very important. I object to so many children's stories having no female characters / 1 token pink one. I object when girls are left out of things because of their sex. I am annoyed when women are overlooked for promotion / cash as they must be (see gender pay gap). So maybe it isn't right to use a form of address that is men-only. If I were in a meeting and someone stood up and addressed "right then gentlemen" or "gents" I would be pretty miffed. So why do I feel guys is OK? Because it is more casual / american? Do we see a lot of american films/TV where it is routinely used for mixed groups? I think maybe that is the difference.

Not sure what I think TBH

[noodle69]

I call all my work colleagues mates. It all depends I think as a lot of the people I work with dont mind being called mates/girls and my husbands work everyone is the lads but on the thread on AIBU a lot of people dont like it. All depends on your team and your demographic I would say. I dont think it would be something you could generalise.

Personally I dont like ladies as it reminds me of extremely pervy bouncers.

[goodegg]

I use 'folks'.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes]

I don't mind guys, people, folks prefer all of them to girls or ladies, even for an all women group.

[SardineQueen]

Folks is a good one.

I think I just say "everyone". As in "right then everyone are we going for a burger now or what?"

[seeker]

I find this one tricky. I use "guys" a lot - when I'm talking to my children or a mized group of their friends - and for me it has become gender neutral, but I know that it hasn't for lots of people, and I'm not sure about he message it sends to girls. I cannot imagine circumstaces in which a traditionally feminine term, like "lasses", would become gender neutral enough to use for a mixed group. So basically, we're tellilng girls that it's OK for them to be subsumed into the masculine world but never, ever the other way round.

"Team" has Blackadder associations in our family, and is only used in a Lord Percy voice and ironically.

Can't bear the tweeness of peeps.

Hate "ladies".

Double hate "girls" for adult women.

[SardineQueen]

Just realised I also say "chaps" a lot, which has the same problems. But I say it because it amuses me to use slightly old fashioned language, that doesn't help though does it.

[MarshaBrady]

Folks here.

Ladies makes me twitch as does girls. Especially 'girls' night out' etc. Blerk.

[CheerfulYank]

I say guys to everyone. But I'm American. :)

[LynetteScavo]

I call my DC "guys" all the time.

I, personally don't find it at all offensive. I think it has now become gender neutral when referring to more than one person.

"people" makes me think of the dance teacher from Fame, "peeps" is sniggertastic. Folk is quite nice.

[noodle69]

Yeah dont say 'team' who are you David Brent?

[jenny60]

Chop and change between all, people and everyone. Or monkeys when talking to small children. I generally hate folks but sometimes fall back on it. Must try team.
I think seeker is right about guys. For me and family it is gender neutral
but can see how it might be heard in a mixed gender group. Use with caution I suppose.