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

[TheBossofMe]

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?

somebloke isn't that just Russian for girl?

Sue got it. Am down with Knids now too.

Although maybe Oompas...

I like Knids, if only we can be vermicious.

"She was a great vermicious Knid" Hmm, its growing on me again!

Sneeches.

TheBossofMe

It may well be - I didn't know that. I think that Burgess's invented language (which he gave a name to which I can't remember) did draw upon, and mangle a mixture of English and (IIRC) Lithuanian.

I don't think 'guys' necessarily excludes women.

somebloke I just looked it up to be sure, devushka/devotschka (very poor transliteration in both instances) is Russian for girl, or young girl, or even young lady.

skippy I think in the UK it does, or is used to describe a woman who is more like a man in her manner and likes, as in "don't mind her, she's one of the guys"

I like broad.

It's is all Frank Sinatra/marlin Brando/guys and Dolls/50s cool.

People can say 'she's a great broad'

Although it doesn't work as Plural

Guys, just sounds very Americanised (nowt wrong with Americans) and its also a word used too often by my overpoweringly chipper friend. "Hey Guuuuuuuys!!! Let's have fun fun fun!" Lets not.

Fepeeps. No peeps is wrong isn't it?

pagwatch I love broad, really love it, but does it have sexual connotations, so not appropriate for really young girls? A bit like dame used to have?

Devotschka isn't any better than just 'girl', it definitely means someone junior.

I quite like the medieval terms - 'dear readers', 'my listeners and readers'. So you define people by what they are doing, not who they are.

Though it does make me think of the exchange between Manny and Simon Pegg's character in Black Books:

'Colleague!!"

'Coworker!"

There's a faintly Soviet feel to totally gender-neutral terms for groups of people, I guess.

I thought about the vericious knids too.

I use peops (said peeps). You coud make it more gender or age specific e.g. Geeps (girl peops), feops (older/ female peops), beops (boy peops), meops (male peops).

You could take it further and call school/mums sceops, work friends weops... The possibilities are endless! :)

Fuck it, just make up a new name if we can't find one that works.

I think we should all just be midlanders/northerners and call everyone 'pet' or 'love'. You can say 'my loves' to a group of people.

I don't object to 'guys' on the gender front.

More the 'hey guys, why don't we put on a show?' thing.

My 4yo DD has rather unhelpfully suggested:

Blimps
Flubs
Lashes
Tanks
Barbies (note to self, throw away all dolls and buy her more Lego)

I'm not sure she's really getting it....

Mmm, I don't like 'guys' or 'peeps'. Peeps makes me think of chicks (the little birds, not 'chicks' as in girls). It's too studenty.

I like 'flubs' though. After a good meal I am my friends could easily be a group of flubs.

I don't know, TheBossOfMe. I never thought of it that way but I may be missing something.

When Mrs Laningham dies in the west wing, Leo is talking bout how great she was and says 'she was a real broad'. It says savvy, brave, funny, confident to me.
I like that.

It's difficult isn't it?

I'd like 'broad' if I lost a stone.
Unfortunately I feel it could lead to unkindness, if used to describe me at the moment

MumnosGOLDisbest I like the eop line.

SuePurblybilt

I have a friend (male) who calls me Old Bean. Well, I do say, "Hello, Old Chap" when we meet. Or Chappie

pag - yeah, but Leo, much as we love him, is a bit of an old-fashioned sexist, isn't he? Bless his (dicky) heart.