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]

Hopefully the secretaries challenge that - if it bothers them.

My Aunty has 'the girls' over - they're all in their 80's

On the other hand, my grandmother would say "that old woman" to refer to someone younger than her...

Girlfriend is almost a word in itself rather than two, so it doesn't bother me that much.

'Laydee friend' and 'gentleman caller'.

I have no problem with the word girls as long as the equivalent term is boys. But if its being used where a male would be referred to as a man or by name then its quite demeaning.

But then again I would hate hate hate someone to refer to my boyfriend as a partner because he's not he's a casual boyfriend and if anyone referred to me as a partner when I was a girlfriend I would probably remove my interest from them because to me partner implies something serious.

to me boyfriend means male sexual/romantic partner. Partner I always reserved for a non-specific people. ie 'Partners are welcome' or business of course.

But as I said 'partner' is becoming ubiquitous so I end up saying it too.

I like 'companion' - I'm thinking of starting to refer to DH as this, just to spice things up a bit

lover.

Me and my lover. someone once described their whatever as that. Made me shiver. Not in a good way.

Why would you say "girlfriend?" unless you are a teenager?

because it means female sexual/romantic partner.

Sometimes two words get put together to make another word with its own meaning.

The equivalent of lad is lass, not girl. I don't think guys is that commonly used in Britain, and when it is, it means both genders like in the US. If people want to call themselves girls, that's their choice. It isn't okay to refer to me as a girl.

I would find it odd for anyone over about 23 to refer to their partner as their boyfriend or girlfriend. If the relationship between you is too casual that you can't call them your partner then you're just seeing someone/dating someone and there is no reason to call them my anything, because they aren't yours.

Any men at work are called the lads or the boys including the bosses. What else would you call them?

Guys is actually widely used in Scotland.

I think the great thing about this country is that is really doesn't matter - we can all enjoy free speech without being dictated to.

not without being judged though, SirChen!

15 years ago you rarely heard anyone say 'partner'. A workmate of mine used to use it to confuddle people into thinking he might be gay because gay people would sometimes use the unisex 'partner' for reasons of 'none of your business'.

LOL Waffly - that is true!

In work I find the use of the term 'girls' or worse still 'girlies' make me feel quite angry and stabby. This is especially so when the person using the term is being deliberately patronising and is also younger than me by many years.

Totally irrelevant but my 4 year old DS continuously refers to female police officers as policegirls, I admit I find it utterly adorable but still correct him

I'm planning a girlie night out with my mates as we speak.
I hate being called a woman although I'm mid 40's!!!!
And if anyone calls me madam!? My blood boils.

the girlfriend boyfriend partner thing is annoying but we don't have to label these relationships, do we? I don't understand why everyone around it is so keen to do that - 'ooh it's getting serious is he your boyfriend' no, fuck OFF

just use the person's name, as in, I can't this weekend I am going away with Max or whatever

It isn't okay to refer to me as a girl.

And therein lies the problem. Some mind, some don't and others are indifferent. Personally this leads me to not give a stuff if I call other women 'girls' providing I am not meaning it to be offensive/demeaning.

That argument doesn't hold up. The basic point is that people refer to women as girls but continue to refer to men as men. Obviously with the term girlfriend there is an exact equivalent in the term boyfriend.

Who's max?

Any patients i have over approx 60 refer to boyfriends / girlfriends as their 'partner' or their 'friend' as a rule.

If you are younger than 60ish and the relationship is more casual then boy-and-girl friends tends to be used i've noticed.

I get called 'good girl' by my manager and other older women at times and i hate it - i'm a 36 yr old woman ffs.

I don't say 'night out with the girls' i say 'night out with X or with my friends'.

Max is the WELL HOT cousin of someone

I might not be on the right thread actually?

I like the german terminology - adult ladies are called Frau , which in english means woman- and a man is a Mann. A married or unmarried woman is called Frau, and a married or unmarried man is also called a Mann

In translation - this is my woman or this is my man, married or not. Simples!.