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'.

A guy on my fb list puts up links to songs and often says 'one for the ladies'. Makes me cringe, think I will hide his posts or get off fb.

DS, aged 3, refers to women as ladies, as I've taught him to do. It isn't intended to imply anything of a lace doilly and sweet sherry nature. I think it's just a respectful term.

Am I right that in the olden days 'Gentlemen' referred to men who didn't need to work? Not sure if a 'Lady' was married to a 'Gentleman' but think it harks back to people of monied families.

The term Ladies makes me cringe.

"I think gals is much better." - Love it skybluepink as it reminds me of Sir Jimmy with 'Hello guys and gals'. I'd be happy using "guys and gals" yet refrain because, calling women 'gals' (='girls') will no doubt find me offending someone.

Clearly - women, girls, ladies, gals - any one of them might offend, depending on your personal choice over what you find acceptable.

Hmm, wonder if 'gentlemen' gets the same intensity/frequency of response?

Why not use women instead of ladies? Because ladies is the standard vocative ("hey so-and-so") but women is never used that way.

We could try something neutral like friends, or ironic like harpies, or offensive like bitches. But women doesn't work because it's never used vocatively. Neither is men, for that matter. It's not a sexism thing; it's a language thing.

I don't see anything wrong with it. I prefer to being called guys or women. What I really can't stand is a friend who uses 'wimmin'-I think it is supposed to empowering. She is the same one who calls me 'syster'-I am not, and if I was I would want it spelt correctly-however I let it all go over me-she is very nice otherwise!

Well no, none of you are ladies.
I am however, and have the title.
I shall address you all as Peasants from now on.

I don't mind it from other ladies but if a man does it it annoys me, and if anyone does it in a contentious thread I assume they are a hairy knuckled man from some football site.

I prefer it to 'Tramps' which always sounds a bit 80s nightclub.

I say 'fellas' too. Oh lord. To me 'Ladies' used by women to women is Sex and the City cocktails and intimate chats. Not twinset and pearls.

Wtf is wrong with WOMAN? I say it and so do my DDs....if someone doesn't like being referred to as their sex then that's their issue. Men don't mind being called men.

I love being a 'lady'.. much better than girls or Biaaatches anyway

I feel really sorry for men these days...they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

What used to be a well mannered phrase....has now turned into a perceived insult.

I've heard that when some have opened doors for women...the woman has snapped back "I can open in myself thank you!"

The world's gone mad....

As a result there will be a time when common courtesy's are no more...

No they're not Sausages they still run the world and they still earn more than us. Keep your pity for those who need it.

Ooooh, re GetOrf's point about Women In Engineering not being called Ladies in Engineering, I am about to start setting up a local group for women in my specialism. I am now definitely going to call it Ladies in [insert name of specialism to avoid outing self].

I feel sorry for individual men who are snapped at for being polite. I don't feel sorry for women who think they have a right to be churlish and unkind to courteous individuals because men happen to have the upper hand overall in society. There are polite, considerate people and rude, chippy idiots of both sexes after all. Although I really think that the hand that rocks the cradle rules most households, if not yet the world.

I agree with the OP. It's vulgar and patronising.

Is 'gentlemen' vulgar and matronising?

No it's not issynoko becauase it does not have any negative connotations like "Ladies" does.

I think it's usually used to patronise women. If I go up to a group of men, I don't feel an obligation to use a collective noun for them. 'You' is perfectly adequate.

Oh no. I am guilty of this!

Mainly on the S&B forum, I suppose.

I wouldn't say I'm "twee" as such, possibly a bit, I did go to a twee school and we were always called "ladies" by teh teachers. I guess it was ground in early as an acceptable collective noun.

I tend to say it on here instead of "girls" which is probably what I would say in real life, but I thought was far more patronising really.

But to be fair it doesn't sound right to say "women" in this context, I wont be changing to that.

"Okay people" isn't too bad I suppose. I could go chav and say "alright peeps" I suppose

So I take your point but I reject most the alternatives

I would always refer to a man as a gentleman and a woman as a lady. I dont see the problem.As in a shop I would say to my DC 'ask the lady' or 'ask the gentleman'.