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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that there should be a female equivalent to "guys" or "chaps"

254 replies

TheBossofMe · 21/09/2012 10:43

Leading on from another thread about terms used to describe women, I realised that there isn't a word that we use to describe a group of women that is gender-specific but not age-specific.

We use the terms "guys" or "chaps" for men and boys of any age. So someone can be one of the guys if he's 5, 15 or 50.

But for women, we have "girls" which should only be applied to the young and "women" which is only applied to the not-that-young-anymore.

So we need a whole new word, a MN-originated word, that we use to describe a group of females of any age.

Because we know that if we use it enough on MN, it eventually transcends into real life, and then into popular usage, and then the OED, and then immortality beckons for us all (or something!).

Anyone got any good ideas?

OP posts:
TheBigJessie · 21/09/2012 10:46

I have a rubbish idea. Moiety.

Does that help?

TheBossofMe · 21/09/2012 10:47

I'm not sure I can say that.

OP posts:
SuePurblybilt · 21/09/2012 10:48

I liked that poster who called us all Hoes this week. Blud. But I fear it wouldn't work in the wider world.

TheBossofMe · 21/09/2012 10:49

I think it needs to be one silable sylable syllable not too long

OP posts:
TheBossofMe · 21/09/2012 10:49

Maybe not Sue

Probably would get me fired if I used it in the office!

OP posts:
TheBigJessie · 21/09/2012 10:49

pronunciation guide

That's if you have speakers.

Homebird8 · 21/09/2012 10:50

I'm guessing wenches wouldn't go down too well? Blush

Hullygully · 21/09/2012 10:50

Good idea, boss

Trills · 21/09/2012 10:50

YABU to want a female equivalent, what you should want it a gender-neutral word for "group of human being who I am addressing in a casual manner".

Fakebook · 21/09/2012 10:50

Gals and chapettes.

There you go.

Hullygully · 21/09/2012 10:50

Can we do that next Trills..?

cheekybarsteward · 21/09/2012 10:50

Bird

Trills · 21/09/2012 10:52

It was either that or YABU because you are not asking about the reasonableness, you are saying "let's do this", so there was no reason to post in AIBU Wink

TheBigJessie · 21/09/2012 10:52

YABU to want a female equivalent, what you should want it a gender-neutral word for "group of human being who I am addressing in a casual manner".

Done. Mortals.

What? It works for me.

Homebird8 · 21/09/2012 10:52

The northerners have Lassies!

TheBigJessie · 21/09/2012 10:54

Gentlepersons. It's on dictionary.com a real word.

TheCraicDealer · 21/09/2012 10:54

You could say "bitches", but that only sounds good being shouted from the window of a Cadillac with rims the size of the London Eye.

SuePurblybilt · 21/09/2012 10:54

We could do worse than follow the lead of the BFG and use 'beans', as in human beans.

It's also amusingly Bertie Wooster in manner: 'Old Bean'. We'll drop the 'old', to update it and lose the likelihood of offence. Legume-based.

Trills · 21/09/2012 10:54

You are a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter, thus far we are equal.

DreamingofSummer · 21/09/2012 10:55

I use "folks"

Trills · 21/09/2012 10:55

Y'all?

Titsalinabumsquash · 21/09/2012 10:55

The teachers at the kids school refer to us parents (mums and dads) as "folks"

What's wrong with "ladies"?

TheBossofMe · 21/09/2012 10:56

Gentlepersons is surely only applied to the rather elderly.

Bitches. Hmm. Again, that wouldn't work so well in the office.

I'm liking beans, but its has, you know, connotations of "flicking".

OP posts:
ScramblyEgg · 21/09/2012 10:56

I had a manager who used to call the male & female staff 'chaps and chapesses', but that's rubbish too - not to mention too long.

Titsalinabumsquash · 21/09/2012 10:56

I am actually voting for .....

Muggles Grin

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