Informal term for women?

[GingerPCatt]

I was chatting to a friend last night and we were trying to come up with an alternative informal word to women. I don't like calling my friends girls as we are in our 30-40s but saying "had a lovely time women" sounds way to formal. Ladies is the same. It feels too formal. I need a grown up version of girls. Any suggestions?

Well, this is fair enough, yes?

Yes, it's fair enough.

So the woman complained. The incident was investigated and nothing else happened.
All complaints are investigated. That's how the system works. If the complaint is upheld, things go further. If they aren't they don't.

But it was upheld.
The incident was investigated and he was warned not to use the term again so not really "nothing happened".

How could he know to stop using the term unless he was told (or warned, on your phrase, though clearly not an employment style warning) to stop using it!

You said he was disciplined. He wasn't.

As a story though, it works beautifully for people with a "women get all arsey about tiny things and get men into disproportionate amounts of trouble" agenda.

As a story you could use it to support various agendas, or you could use it (as I do) as an example why people shouldn't call women girls in a professional context.

How could he know to stop using the term unless he was told (or warned, on your phrase, though clearly not an employment style warning) to stop using it!

Well I suppose someone could have a quiet word with him, or they could involve HR, union reps etc.

You said he was disciplined. He wasn't.

Oh really?

I am curious - were you in the meeting?

Well he wasn't according to your version of the story! Is there more you haven't told us?

I wasn't in the meeting. He was a friend and work colleague. I wasn't working on that contract.
He came into the office crapping himself one day because he had been asked to attend this meeting with senior staff, HR, union rep, etc. Sorry if I have the HR terms wrong and he wasn't disciplined at all.
I heard all of it from his viewpoint at each stage because he was worried about it for a couple of weeks and so was telling me what was happening at each stage.
There is nothing more to it. It was something like 6 months he was drafted in as a project manager and given a small team to manage, I think about 6 or 8 but not sure, that was usual.
It was an IT contract so it was his job to manage the staff on the project to get it completed.
He wasn't an employee of the company, but an external contractor so wouldn't have been covered by their HR I don't think.
I don't know what to call it if it isn't a disciplinary meeting.
Either way, he was asked to attend this meeting, told that he had offended the woman, asked to explain his actions, etc. and warned not to use the term again.

Confused now. Was he called into a meeting to be told not to use the term 'guys' or 'girls'?

He used the term "guys" to refer to a mixed group. There may have been only one woman in the group.

Spidertracker wrote - "I really don't understand the issues around the word girl for adults. There are far more important issues in feminism, equal pay and the choice to be a parent not affecting your career"

Employers can and do pay lower status people less money than higher status people for doing the same or similar work. (The UK minimum wage is lower for people aged under 21, who have lower social status than e.g. middle aged men).

Girls are at the bottom of the gender hierarchy of status, rights and choices. Therefore, referring to women as girls lowers women's status and weakens women's bargaining power when fighting for equal pay or life choices.

Women.

Would you be offended then in a queue if a parent said to a child, "let the lady go first"? Or "this lady was before us"

You would prefer "let the woman go first?"

There is a time and a place for different words.

I would say "let the lady go first".

I would find it very odd to be described as "this woman" in that situation.

Why, Lass?

"Let the man go first" is more commonly used than "let the gentleman go first", right?

I think it sounds aggressive.

And I would say " let the gentleman go first"

Aggressive? Ok.

At least your language is consistent! Mine isn't, I instinctively use "man" and "lady" but I'm trying to use "woman" instead - as only by usage will using "woman" where people happily use "man" be more natural (and not aggressive for either!)

Does "let the man go first" also sound aggressive to you?

It sounds impolite. As does "the woman" -at best "the woman " sounds impolite and depending on the tone of voice "woman" could be aggressive.

I don't really see what is so wrong with ladies and gentlemen.

I speak at training events quite a bit. I can't imagine starting off a talk with "Good morning men and women" " Good morning all" is far too happy clappy, motivational speaker.

I suppose I could just say "good morning " and leave it at that but adding "ladies and gentlemen " comes naturally.

"Good morning everyone" for me sounds too informal for the type of talk and my audience.

I've said I think it sounds impolite, depending on tone and body language being impolite could morph into rudeness into aggression that woman.

Why do you feel so strongly about lady since you are making me justify my position ?