to think that all the people who have a problem with people using "girls" instead of "women"

[CartwrightMiss]

Should say "womanfriend" instead of "girlfriend"?

[gron]

I blame the English language really, there isn't a polite but informal one-syllable word like 'guys' for women apart from 'girls'.

I'm the only woman in a team of men and we have an admin team of women.

My colleagues constantly say things like 'I'll ask one of the girls to do it'.

I constantly pull them up over this.

I would never, ever refer to my team members as 'the boys'.

My group of very much grown women friends sit down with a glass of wine and talk about boys... not men.

What does that make us?

Cougars?

Yy Eccles.

night out with the girls.
night out with the boys.

Depends on context.

I don't like the move from saying girlfriend/boyfriend to saying partner. I'm trying to resist but find myself doing it more now.

I hate, HATE girlfriend/boyfriend. Reminds me of being about 12 in the playground 'John wants you to be his girlfriend' snigger snigger (example name used of course ). But partner also sounds shit, just sounds so closed off and almost business like. So honestly unless you're married I have no idea what to use. Even when engaged I think fiance/e sounds poncy and unnecessary!

I do say 'oh that's a girl/boy I was friends with in school' just because I remember them as a child. But other than that it's woman/man. Never used lady or gentleman. I do use the term 'girly' in the context of 'she's a girly girl', I should probably stop that. How else do I describe though? A Barbie? JOKE, THAT IS A JOKE.

Partner suggests a much more serious relationship than boy/girlfriend, though. it's fine if you're living with someone but what if you're 43 and have been going out with someone for a few months?

My friend is Dutch, been with her partner for 7 years and they have 2 children together - he is her boyfriend. Her mum has been with her partner for much, much longer, and again, he is her boyfriend. Makes me smile every time I hear it

Well, I prefer partner to gf/bf. Partially because I see no need to advertise my sexual orientation, and partially because I'm not still 14.

I don't like 'girls' used in an unequivalent way, i.e. when 'boys' would not be used.

I have never heard anyone say their boss is a "good girl" I would absolutley call them on it if I did. It sounds incredibly patronizing!

My mil goes out with 'the girls' she is late 60's. i don't know anyone else who uses it.

" I don't like 'girls' used in an unequivalent way, i.e. when 'boys' would not be used. "

This, exactly.

gf/bf doesn't bother me, nor does girls or boys night out.

We have a few people at work who refer to our team as ",

I think people should use whatever damn term they like as long as it isn't used in a patronising way. Too many people read silly things or inference or offence when there is none.

Often hear groups of women have a "girls night out". Doesn't bother me in the slightest because that's the term they wish to use. None of my business.

I blame the english language too.
When kids/children grow up, and you have girls and boys, what do you call them?

Also the word love in english is just love.
Whereas other languages have a myriad of words for love.

Thinking about it, I think it's partly the coyness of the '-friend' bit. Yes, at 13, she is probably my girlfriend. After the age of 18 you may legitimately assume we are probably shagging.

Does anyone else know what I mean?

How does it work, this practice of judging people for the way they interpret things and being rude about it, but advocating not judging people for the way they express things, jessica? It sounds fascinating how the one appears to be your business enough to be derogatory, and the other isn't.

Wouldn't it be possible to be polite about both?

LDR - If someone calls you a girl in a patronising way and you don't like it and want to call them on it, then that is your business. Quite rightly. But if a group of people want to refer to themselves as girls, then that is their business.

It just seems to me that sometimes often people take offence or inference not for themselves but for and on behalf of others.

Also agree with SirChenjin. Thinking about it, I would only ever use "girls" when I'm talking about a group of women that I know very well, so for me it's an affectionate term.

Crikey - 2 people agree with me. That never happens!

I'm not saying it's not their business.

Maybe you're right people take offence on others' behalf. I just feel this thread is rather more about people laying down the law about how no-one is allowed to have different experiences from them, or different preferences.

Someone has already sneered that because she has never heard 'girls' used to women where 'gentlemen' is used to men, it therefore doesn't matter that I have.

Fine: that's not her experience. But it is mine.

Btw, I agree 'girls' can denote fondness (so your tally is going up, chen ). It's like diminutives of names - they're affectionate. I think that is also why it gets my back up in a professional context, where it's not very appropriate.

I object to "girls" instead of "women" where the term used for males in the same situation would be "men". So I don't have an issue with "girls' night out" as the equivalent is "boys' night out".

But to refer to a capable professional woman, whether in an office or as an athlete, as a "girl" is disrespectful and derogatory.

It's all about context.

And I would say "partner" about anyone over the age of 18 in a relationship.

At work, the secretaries are collectively referred to as "the girls". I've never heard a group of male employees referred to as "the boys" by the same people. I find it pretty demeaning, tbh.