Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not not like the term guys

78 replies

GingerbreadBaubles · 25/05/2015 04:57

Hi guys table for 2?
What can I get you guys to drink?
Thanks guys
If you guys want to wait a minute someone will be with you shortly

I hate it! Please stop.

OP posts:
Iggi999 · 25/05/2015 08:52

Gingerbread, in the examples in the OP, what would you prefer was said?

RusticBlush · 25/05/2015 08:53

"Hey yoouu guys" - total Goonies Grin

FeijoaSundae · 25/05/2015 08:53

I use it. I used it on a thread I started the other day.

Sorry if it pissed anyone off. But I'm not going to not use it. It's common enough parlance down this way.

Everyone says something that pisses someone else off. What are you going to do...

TheHumourlessHarpy · 25/05/2015 09:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Purpleball · 25/05/2015 09:03

I hate it, my manager does it. Drives me batshit.

Pipbin · 25/05/2015 09:07

I use it at school I'm afraid.
What other term could I use for a small group of children? Imagine you have taken a small group off to work separately somewhere and you need them to stop and come back. I would say something like 'come on guys, time to come back to the class'.
I'd like to stop using guys but I honestly can't think of another term that is informal and friendly enough.

PaveParadise · 25/05/2015 09:12

I use it but I'm from Canada so I think that gets me off the hook Wink

MitziKinsky · 25/05/2015 09:18

Ladies is far worse.

Ladeeeez. Makes me feel like a Victorian grandmother.

Bringitbacknow · 25/05/2015 09:25

I don't mind it. It's better than the alternatives.

Girls is gringe worthy when used on anyone over the age of 16 and 'Ladies' sounds too pompous and stuck up.

Whatisaweekend · 25/05/2015 09:29

YaSOnbu. I utterly loathe it!

ArgyMargy · 25/05/2015 09:29

Anything can be irritating if overused. I don't mind guys but it would seem odd if someone used "men" in this way (unless we were men and in the army or something). I like "people" and tell myself I'm using it amusingly...

MrsRossPoldark · 25/05/2015 10:09

Guys is fine in a cafe where it's less formal, but a restaurant or even a bar/restaurant I'd rather be a lady thank you very much.

Mind you it must be too confusing for the staff to know where to pitch it these days, so it wouldn't stop me coming back! Life's too short!

RachelWatts · 25/05/2015 10:15

A teacher at school used to refer to his A-Level class as "guys".

One day, he took me aside and asked if I was bothered by it, and apologised if so.

Apparently, " guys" was OK for an all male group, but as there was a female in the class, he'd been told it was inappropriate.

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 25/05/2015 10:18

It's gender neutral now. Better than girls or ladies or any of the others.

Nolim · 25/05/2015 10:18

Is there an english word for plural you? If not i will continue using guys instead.

NCIS · 25/05/2015 10:19

I use guys quite a lot but only to refer to a group of people younger than me.

What I do hate is 'dude' , there is a man at work who always calls everyone dude, it sounds so odd, think 'Hey dude, can you pass me the adrenaline?'

I want to reply 'I'm not your fucking dude, I'm old enough to be your Mother', strangely enough I wouldn't mind if he (or anyone else) called me love, sweetheart, mate etc. All of which I use regularly.

I do use girls to refer to a group of women of any age but then I also use boys to refer to a group of men.

MuttonCadet · 25/05/2015 10:24

I use it when e-mailing a group, happy to consider another phrase (I had no idea it was even contentious).

So, what should we use instead in an informal e-mail directed at a number of people?

This is an honest question, I'm not being snarky.

SuburbanRhonda · 25/05/2015 10:25

I use it at school I'm afraid.
What other term could I use for a small group of children?

How about using the word "children"?

A bit rad, I know Grin

FatAli · 25/05/2015 10:30

'Guys' doesn't bother me.

'Ladies' however, really, really annoys me.

adarkwhisperinthewoodwasheard · 25/05/2015 10:32

Hmmm, some places it's ok - a cafe or bar. It really annoyed me when in first class on the train though. Far too informal and ruined the rare experience for me.

I tend to use 'folks' when talking to large groups. There might be something in the accent though that makes different addresses more palatable

SevenEleven · 25/05/2015 10:35

I can't get worked up about it tbh. I think some people really need to unclench...

PenelopePitstops · 25/05/2015 10:39

I'm a teacher and use 'year 9 blah blah' or 'class...'.

Emails to groups just start Hi all.....

I hate guys too!

MuttonCadet · 25/05/2015 10:44

Okay, "hi all" it is.

Unless that's too close "hi y'all"?

queenofthemountains · 25/05/2015 10:48

I hate it, especially in the classroom. I use folks, I was once observing a trainee teacher and one thing he was pulled up on by his trainer was using the term guys.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 25/05/2015 10:53

It doesn't generally bother me and I may sometimes use it myself
However I do think there is an issue with casually mis-gendering women

That's me! Straight down the middle!

Swipe left for the next trending thread