to really, really not like being referred to as 'ladies'

[GetOrf]

As in some norman comes on here and says 'well, ladies, what do you think about xxx'

I hate it. I makes me feel like I am on my gran's darts league committee.

Ladies. Urgh.

I would rather someone said 'you lot' or 'you bunch of wankers'.

unless you work in a brothel, probably not appropriate

Fimbo, oh my, YES. He even did the up and down look and the nod of approval. It was hilarious.

yobabygirl

We have someone at work who always starts his emails "gents" which really annoys me, I have pointed out to him that I am a woman, but he works in IT so probably doesn't know the difference yet.

I'd rather be a lady than a woman and I am NOT NOT NOT a "guy" which I loathe but seems to be depressingly prevalent now.

Big shout to ma Bitches

You wouldn't say "hello women" any more than you'd say "hello men".

This is a linguistic problem.

We need a word that means "hello people".

Doesn't bother me in the slightest...

It's a mark of respect...I do it myself.

Hello comrades

I get the 'gents' thing in emails a lot.

Even worse is the 'hello gents (oh and one lady )'

Yes the fucker really does put a smiley in emails.

It's allright, I am planning his downfall

On the same theme, GetOrf - Ladies ROOM

Pointless euphemism.

Someone senior where I work starts her emails "Colleagues"
seems a good compromise to me

Oi,

While I don't think I've ever addressed anything in that way, I have seen some posts with 'good evening ladies' and it seems inoffensive and friendly. You've appeared to take exception because it hints at some bygone age, but to me just a slightly more polite way that some people use in their day to day meetings with other people.

As for Miggsie and the twerp who starts e-mails with 'gents', I feel for you as that's pretty much what any male might feel if he strays onto a post with a start like 'good evening ladies' :) However don't put down all in IT - has been my line of work for 30+ years so that alone doesn't make one sexist or daft.

(Oh, and agree about 'guys'... its one more nasty Americanism that we've imported... )

Ladies is always said with a tone.

I think Ladies euphemise and hold their dainty pinkies out when jerking orf their "better half", and mop up the resulting mess with a monogrammed napkin.

And din't get me started on bidets.

[fumescent]

Yes.

Why not put a sign on the door saying KHASI and be done with it.

I quite like those restaurants who have done away with ladies and gents and have obscure symboles which you have to work out drunk. I remember ages ago my mum goit very confused in a bar - the loos had those scientific gender indicators on the doors (you know, the bloke is a circle with an arrow, a woman is a circle with a cross). She was desperate for a slash but felt too embarrassed to ask any of the very cool and snooty staff, she had to wait outside until someone came out the loo so she knew which one was right!

'dear all' is what we normally get in emails, 'hello everyone' at a meeting.

"I think Ladies euphemise and hold their dainty pinkies out when jerking orf their "better half", and mop up the resulting mess with a monogrammed napkin."

I do love you, Chaos...

See - chaos undertsnands exactlt the point I am getting at.

Actually poor old blokes, can't get it right. You cann us gents so we feel one of the guys - hate. You call us gents and then say 'apart from one lady' and use a smiley - hate. Call us ladies - hate. Call us girls - hate. Call us babygirls - hate.

And don't diss the IT boffs, they are near to us engineers as The Ones To Take The Piss Out Of For Their Lack Of Social Skills And Clothing Choices. IT types are great . It's those fuckers from finance you have to be wary of.

Why can't I type? What has happened?

They also gasp in horreur when they find out that someone actually employs a wanking technique in the style of HKLP.

Terribly infra dig.

"They won't be gracing the President's Ball, Albert."

LOLOLOL

Chaos you do make me larf

does not bother me in the slightest

It's because it retains remnants of anther era....which throws up issues re."behaviour" and how women should conduct themselves. Only genteel women were "ladies"...genteel meant not only well brought up or polite....but sitting with knees together...not mixing with men one hadn't been properly introduced to.

It harks back to an era when women were oppressed.

Bidets are for washing your arse before anal sex, no?

trillian lowers the tone

Chaos brought them up!