To think calling a 26 year old a girl is odd

[Togetherforever70]

They aren’t even a young adult never a girl.

It’s normal in our circles to say “the girls” or “the boys/lads” even though they’re all in their 30s/40s.

Yes, it's misogyny. Men are rarely addressed as boys.

@AnotherSillawithanS

I've no problem with being called a girl and I'm 43.

Same (I'm 41). I hate being called a woman, it doesn't sound right!

@dworky

Yes, it's misogyny. Men are rarely addressed as boys.

I wish people wouldn't say this. For lots of us, it actually is used for men. I hear 'boys' far often than I hear 'men'

@dworky

Yes, it's misogyny. Men are rarely addressed as boys.

Well DP isn't going on his Stag Do with 'The Men' and he's 40, as are most of the attendees.

He's going with 'the boys' or 'the lads'.

If you were going out for drinks with a group of female friends how would you describe who you were meeting? 'I'm meeting The Women for a couple of cocktails'? Sounds bizarre.

What is actually wrong with it?

My mum still refers to us to other people as ‘the kids’. We are 25, 37 and 42
I call the people I work with ‘the girls’ - range from 17 to mid 50’s, but I suppose I’m talking about my close work friends. As in, dh I’m going out on Saturday with the girls from work.
Whereas when I’m talking about a colleague that I’m not particularly close with, I might say ‘one of the ladies I work with’.
Dh runs a company and at Christmas will declare he’s ‘taking the boys out’ or from time to time will go to football with ‘the boys’.
I don’t know, it’s just less formal but I honestly don’t mind it personally.

I can' get too uptight about this as long as there is no intention to offend.

People seem so eager to be offended and outraged, it's boring.

I'm a 58yo woman and recently dealt with a male from the local council who looked about 16. I thought of him as a boy, it doesn't make me discriminatory, it's relative, that's all.

Like PP say, it all depends on context.

Using terms like “girls night out” amongst your friends or “the boys” with men you’re close to is fine.

But using it in a professional context with women who are obviously grown up, is a bit grim and wouldn’t be used with men.

The real question though is: WTF is wrong with using the word “woman”?

I love the word “woman”. It has such a nice history.

People seem to be offended by everything lately. You can’t say or do anything without someone getting upset.

I may head over to Gransnet instead.

Me and my work pals are ‘the girls’, I like being called a girl at my age. But then I’m not easily offended.

@dworky

Yes, it's misogyny. Men are rarely addressed as boys.

I disagree.

Depends on the context.

The girl from accounts - no
Are you going out with the girls? - no problem.

People seem so eager to be offended and outraged, it's boring.

And some seem so eager to be the cool girl, it’s kind of dull.

I'm a 58yo woman and recently dealt with a male from the local council who looked about 16. I thought of him as a boy, it doesn't make me discriminatory, it's relative, that's all.

But did you actually call him a boy? And that’s kind of a false equivalence because he is very young. The OP is talking about older women. Would you call a man who you weren’t close to and who was in his 50s a boy?

I cannot stand being called a girl as an adult woman.
Don't like lady either.

It's fine, no need to be offended at a common colloquialism

Pet names are also nice, I miss it when I leave the UK

how dreary things would be if we all referred to each other as man/woman, at all times

"We're going for a woman's night out"
"My daughters such a good woman, she's always helping me out on the weekend"

It's ok to be informal or familiar with people

But using it in a professional context with women who are obviously grown up, is a bit grim and wouldn’t be used with men.

But again it depends. I can't imagine anyone using 'boys' or 'girls' in a meeting with our investors.

However, if I am in my office which seats about 10 of us, who work together alot. We would say 'morning boys'.

Its still a professional setting. But the behaviour will change depending on who is there and how familiar you all are.

I genuinely don't hear the word 'girls' in settings where 'boys' wouldn't not also be used, even in a world setting.

I hate it, we have a sales rep who calls me young lady it winds me up so much. I’m 51 not 5! Have also had a customer tell me what a clever girl I am this week as well. I need some witty come backs as I just find it so patronising

I use the term 'the girls' to refer to a couple of my friendship groups. If it's accepted by the people who want to use it I think it's quite a normal colloquial term, like a group of men calling themselves 'the lads'. It can sound patronising in some contexts though - I wouldn't refer to a woman I didn't know very well as a 'girl'.

Agree with pp there are bigger things to worry about and it seems people are offended by everything these days I'm 28 and don't mind it

Yes, it's misogyny. Men are rarely addressed as boys.

Around my way men are often referred to as 'boys' .

"Are you out with the boys this Friday?"

I feel that getting upset at being called a 'girl' is kind of going out of your way to take offence.

I call men boys, and women girls, I don't mind being called a girl

I don't mind either. Great girl, cool girl etc. people are welcome to call me all these things!

@Tara336

I hate it, we have a sales rep who calls me young lady it winds me up so much. I’m 51 not 5! Have also had a customer tell me what a clever girl I am this week as well. I need some witty come backs as I just find it so patronising

This is understandable because you're a bit older. I can see how this would be awkward or annoying especially if their younger than you (not actually offensive though)

A witty comeback would be fine, I wouldn't give them too much grief

Being called a girl is fine in informal contexts if it's someone the same age or older saying it, and your under around 40

Being called a girl is fine in informal contexts if it's someone the same age or older saying it, and your under around 40

I wouldn’t have liked it in my 30s either.