To use the word "guys" to refer to people

[AliceAbsolum]

When referring to a mix of gendered people is there anything wrong with saying:

"Hey guys"

"Nice one guys"

"Guys, shall we catch up soon"?

Is it sexist against women? I don't know what opinion to have, so wise vipers please tell me your thoughts.

Oh! It's ballache. That seems to be a really common expression at the moment.

I try to make the point subtly by saying oh haha I don't even know what that feels like which is why I get all the work done more easily hahaha.

I don't like it.

Balls deep
Ballache

I also don't like guys.

It's all about context really. In a male dominated environment this stuff has weight. Male as default.

For those who don't mind guys how do you feel about balls deep/ ballache?

I hate this expression. To me it’s like Dear Sirs. I’m not a guy nor a sir. It’s sexist. And it sounds a bit American too.

I was told not to do this during my teacher training.
I started addressing all my classes as 'human beings'.

@NiceGerbil

Oh! It's ballache. That seems to be a really common expression at the moment.

I try to make the point subtly by saying oh haha I don't even know what that feels like which is why I get all the work done more easily hahaha.

I don't like it.

Balls deep
Ballache

I also don't like guys.

It's all about context really. In a male dominated environment this stuff has weight. Male as default.

For those who don't mind guys how do you feel about balls deep/ ballache?

I would find this offensive and say so. There is no point in being subtle - they clearly aren’t getting it.

Oh for god's sake.

Hello everyone.

It's really not that fucking hard.

Any comments on the balls deep/ ballache stuff?

Guys means male as default. It means men/ boys. If I said I met a guy on the high street today. Oh who? A woman I've seen around i think she works in the school. That's not right.

For me it's a thin end of the wedge thing.

Interested to know how posters feel about balls deep/ ballache.

Hate it.
I taught in a girls' school and it was becoming a default way for them to address each other. I did point out it was a little odd to use a male expression in an exclusively female setting but got the 'strange woman' look so beloved of adolescents!
It's another Americanism which is here to stay.

I can’t stand it but we will never meet do it’s irrelevant.

Of course it’s ok. People just like to get wound up over things like this for the sake of if.

Firstly what's "a mix of gendered people"? Do you mean people of both sexes? As for whether it's acceptable to call males and females guys, I personally don't like it, guys are males aren't they? I feel it's lazy, I say people to a group, "ok people, let's...blah blah" Guys always seemed a bit American to me, I don't say it, it seems awkward. I thought it was maybe an age or generational thing but plenty of people my age say guys, usually the ones who try to be cool.

My husband was pulled up at work over this, offering an elderly couple tea on their arrival for an appointment 'can I get you guys some tea?' Elderly gentleman very offended on his wife's behalf, asked she not be called a guy. Which is understandable although we were both a bit surprised at the time. So I'd say it depends on your target audience.

@AnotherVice

My husband was pulled up at work over this, offering an elderly couple tea on their arrival for an appointment 'can I get you guys some tea?' Elderly gentleman very offended on his wife's behalf, asked she not be called a guy. Which is understandable although we were both a bit surprised at the time. So I'd say it depends on your target audience.

Ive mainly heard it in restaurants and entertainment type things and ive had a waiter apologise to me for using it (unbidden, i didnt say anything, its just at first glance he thought i was male)

But my dad was out with a large group of 65/70 year olds at a restaurant and they were a bit irritated when the waiter referred to them as guys

So I’d agree with ‘chose your audience’ 😀

I'm not at all surprised an older couple would be offended. Guys is very informal, as well as male. It's like being addressed by your first name on first acquaintance.

Would you say 'you chaps' to a mixed group, or a couple? I think that's the British equivalent.

I've seen similar discussions about 'chaps and chappesses', 'ladies and gents' etc in a workplace. The conclusion is always the same: why not say 'people' or 'everyone'?

All these gendered / worrying about including all sexes, genders and whatever terms, betray the fact that in those places, by those people, male is seen as default and 'others' need to be acknowledged somehow. How about just not seeing male as default and viewing your colleagues / audience as people?

I'm surprised to see that people don't know that 'guys' is an American import. It arrived with American sitcoms, which proliferated on British TV with the increasing number of channels, from the mid-80s onwards.

I use it all the time. I barely see it as gendered.

In Ireland, ‘lads’ is used in a similar way in certain parts of the country.

If you think it's ok, who cares, there will always be someone who thinks it's wrong.
Shock, horror, I have a group of friends and we refer to each other as birds.....
Yet if a bloke used that to describe us....well, I wouldn't bet on his chances of getting away unscathed!

I don't like it. It's not offensive but it's try-hard faux casual.

It doesn’t offend me, but it is not an expression I would use. If I am sending a work related email to a group I would say “Everyone”.

@AnotherVice

My husband was pulled up at work over this, offering an elderly couple tea on their arrival for an appointment 'can I get you guys some tea?' Elderly gentleman very offended on his wife's behalf, asked she not be called a guy. Which is understandable although we were both a bit surprised at the time. So I'd say it depends on your target audience.

In that instance the word guy was completely unneccesary anyway. He could just have said "Would YOU like some tea?"

I’m not very keen on it, but that’s mainly because it’s an Americanism, which is fine in the USA but it jars on me a bit when I hear Brits say it. I use and prefer “Hello everyone”. Since reading about it on MN I can also understand why many women dislike it for the gendered aspect, and I find it fascinating how subtle language can affect how humans see themselves and the world. It is gendered. Guys = group of men, gals/girls = group of girls (although often used for a group of women too). So why in a mixed group do we default to the male term? What it boils down to is does this "mis-gendering" of a group of women bother you or not?

Although it’s not a top feminst issue I don’t think we should ignore it either, and I think of the analogy “take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. So take care of little things one at a time, they can add up to big things. As a PP said, it's the thin end of the wedge.

@WorraLiberty

I don't really think of it as gendered anymore but for some reason, it really makes me cringe.

^^This

Fake 'cool'

I hate it. I see it as a gendered term.

Only with my kids at home. I'm American.
But even as Americans, we tend not to overdo guys in the way you Brits think. I'll say 'Come on guys' or 'Do you guys want pizza or tacos?' It's never like, "Hey guys, gee whizz, I've got a snazzy idea!"
I actually cringe a bit when Brits use it because you do tend to egg it on a bit and go overboard with the use of the word.
I'm Californian. Hearing my friends back home say 'dude' is fine. But when people do it over here, I'm like, nah- doesn't work.

Couldn't care less. My sister in law is Irish and refers to everyone as the lads

Totally fine - The Goonies - Hey u guys!

I hate it, but have occasionally slipped into using it myself.

I gave myself a good talking to afterwards and try and avoid it.

For those who think nothing of using it , see no problem,

Do you also think TWAW ?