Hi guys! You don’t mind if I call you guys, right?

[noblegiraffe]

Just out of interest, if you are female:

YABU: yes, I do mind being referred to in a group as guys, even if it’s just a minor niggle that I will never bring up.

YANBU: I don’t give a toss if you refer to me in a group as a guys. It’s a gender-neutral word these days.

I don’t think any mixed group of people should be referred to as anything other than “Mesdames et Messieurs” or “My Lords, Ladies and gentlemen”, preferably accompanied by a deep bow or curtesy. It’s the least anyone should do in polite company.

I'm not keen on it but I use it all the time

When I was growing up, "guys" was definitely masculine (hence "guys and gals" ).

It was definitely an American thing to extend it to all - and we used to joke about it at the time (there may even be some late 70s or early 80s sketch shows doing that ....)

If the general consensus is that it applies to all now, then that's how language changes.

My all female friendship group use it because it's better than the alternatives. We aren't ladies, we're definitely not girls and despite living in Scotland "folk" makes me cringe.

Doesn’t bother me at all, I use it, one of my (female) friends uses “lads” and another uses “MATE!!”

There’s not much that offends me to be honest, unless something is a direct insult I’m not fussed

@sirfredfredgeorge

Heterosexual men aren't keen if you refer to women they sleep with as guys

I've never met any, guys is gender neutral collective noun for humans for almost everyone I've met, particularly the straight men. I know a very small number of women who dislike it, and for that reason I always use folks unless I know the group is all happy, however:

I get more irritated by 'folks'

I'll obviously annoy @butterer, sorry.

Folks is weird because folk is plural.

I don't like it. I'm not a guy. I don't generally comment on it, but it annoys me.

It never used to bother me but now that I've realised that anytime we're being gender neutral, we're actually being 'male' then it does bother me.

Like the satirical 'The Man Who Has It All' on Facebook: Why would men be offended by gender neutral terms such Womankind, countrywoman, firewoman, one-woman tent

I hate it, yet another Americanism, fake familiarity/friendliness. 'Have a nice day ' is creeping in too as are fireworks for the opening of a biscuit tin.
Conversely l don't mind 'lads' but possibly as l was brought up surrounded by Irish family who always said 'lads' for more than one person of any gender. In fact l quite like that and use it myself and also its not an Americanism, but would never use 'guys'

It's a bit Savile isn't it?
He used to say 'guys n gals'

It’s better than calling fully grown women “girls”.

Oh that.....it can be irritating but then I do sometimes refer to 'the boys' meaning men in their 30s and 40s...
It happens less to them though.

I loathe this but it has absolutely nothing to do with any questions about gender. It’s the whole slang-y, lazy, faux-mateyness that really grates.

I think guys implies a group of men and that it’s fundamentally sexist if women can be included in a term that is traditionally male but it wouldn’t be ok to do it the other way round. I’m not keen on guys unless men are happy being included in a group of gals.

I wouldn’t complain about it though.

I hate it. Just another nail in the misogynistic coffin and an Americanism to boot. I 100% agree it is women, who’ve been ground down to accept this. I also correct dd when she says it.

In most cases It’s just a more friendly, less impersonal way of saying ‘everyone’
Like meeting a group of friends “hi guys”

It’s more cringy when someone uses “guys” to mean everyone in the group then has a slight pause and panic, and adds “and ladies” in case they’ve offended some poor soul who is also overthinking the word.

I don't care and I doubt I would even notice.

I'm not offended by it but its air of self-conscious casualness is slightly irritating.

Guys is a bit strange for mixed company..but I'd not be offended of someone uses it, {which they do}
I wonder if men would be offended if I said ''Hi Gals!''.....I might try it, just to see how it goes down. 🙂

I don't get offended if someone uses it e.g. In a restaurant as I'm not a snowflake. However, as a teacher I do my very best not to use it when talking to groups of children as I'm aware that it's more masculine than feminine and some girls may be annoyed. I now use other words, e.g. Everyone, peeps, gang,
In a staff meeting full of senior teachers, all of whom were female, being led by the new Head who was male, he kept calling us guys and I cracked at the point where he said we needed to 'grow a pair' when challenging poor teaching. I pointed out that as none of us were men we could not 'grow a pair' nor were we guys.

*It’s more cringy when someone uses “guys” to mean everyone in the group then has a slight pause and panic, and adds “and ladies” in case they’ve offended some poor soul who is also overthinking the word.
*

Oh yes 😂..heard that done..''Look Guys..er, I mean girls too.. and gender neutral peeps''
''Peeps'' sounds like a nest of newly hatched chicks.

Don't mind it.

'Ladies' or 'girls' makes me bristle though.

@Stripesgalore I find that quite interesting. I’ve never ever thought that or attributed ‘folks’ in the way you see it! I always see ‘folks’ as parents- I’m going to see ‘my folks’ at the weekend sorry I can’t make it. So interesting the different ways we think about the same words/ phrases and what they mean to us!

''Ladies'' sounds like a public convenience.

Australian women tend to use ''Ladies'' a lot in group emails
''Hi Ladies''...I feel like responding with ''I'm no lady''..

No problem at all. I do mind when colleagues address me and others as 'ladies'. I feel like saying 'no lady here'... thinking of all that 'ladylike and its trappings' entails. I don't say anything but have an internal conversation about it!