"You Guys"

[ritzbiscuits]

This phrase drives me crazy, everyone seems to use it these days. My dh thinks I'm over sensitive for finding it offensive, and has asked at his very politically correct public sector place of work and not one person had a problem with it.

You wouldn't call a mixed group of people "hey girls' would you? It's used lots in kids tv as well, what message is this sending our young women?

Anyone with me on this?

What is your objection to ladies?

I changed my username to include the word "Lass" after a previous thread where some posters thought "guys" was ok but "lass" was misogynistic.

Aside from the gender connotation, I agree with @LassWiADelicateAir that it's twee and forced being used by those over 25. It's like over 25's trying to be 'down with the kids' using 'Awesome!'

I hate the word Awesome I'm in agreement too. It's just that I've worked in places where 'guys' are used by teenagers, with no sex or gender distinction, so, it's part and parcel of the working life.

Also yes to Lads in Ireland to describe a bunch of women getting together.

I think ladies is about class for me.
I'm not titled.

It's like the word woman sounds quite unpleasant somehow as we tend to use euphemisms. Especially in Scotland I think. It's very unnatural not to say 'a lady ' when you mean 'a woman'.

YouTubers seem to use it obsessively. Every single vlogger seems to start their spiel with Hi GUYS. I hate it.

I speak Spanish which is the most sexist language ever - Fathers is Parents and Brothers is Siblings. That pisses me off too. Funny thing is, Spanish people are not very sexist. Maybe the language will catch up one day.

Our department clerk, a lovely 20 year old girl who joined us very nervous and unsure of herself and her abilities but who blossomed, partly due to mentoring from our secretaries, moved to a promoted post yesterday. She left a thank you card saying "you guys are great"

Obviously I'd have to be an outstanding prat to take the slightest exception to that.

On the other hand the mid 50s female partner who refers to "you guys...." sets my teeth on edge.

I've worked for a US company for over 30 years, so I was habituated into using 'guys' as a neutral collective when I was quite young.

I don't like 'folks' because it's what rich American politicians say to sound like they're down with the working classes.

Yes... and to my ear far too, well, folksy for use in any sort of professional environment.

In many contexts, a simple 'everyone' is appropriate.

I use "everyone" when referring to a group of people As in " Hello everyone" or "everyone needs to ....." Interestingly my DD was in Air Cadets and they were all called "lad"

I work in a primary school and flit between calling a mixed group, guys or ladies.
The boys always challenge me when I call the group ladies, which then opens a brief conversation into the language I'm using and why. It usually goes:
Right ladies what are we up to
Err I'm not a lady.
I know, but if I said "right guys" none of the girls would say anything? Is there something wrong with being called a girl?
No.

Sometimes conversation goes deeper, but by the time they're in year 6 (I work across KS2) they accept it and I often have the older kids explaining to the younger ones.

Lots of Americans say 'folks" on a regular basis, especially in the south. It's very common parlance. It's also often used to refer to one's parents, as in "my folks are retired."

Lots of Scottish people use "folks" in exactly the same way Seneca.

I had a lecturer at uni who used to breeze in 10 minutes late and say "Hi, gang!" I quite liked that, but he was at least 30 years older than any of us. Not sure it would work if you were addressing a group of your peers.

Gang would work well in certain circumstances, especially for a group who lnow each other well.

I am late 40s and I cannot stand my co-workers and I being referred to as “the girls in the office”.
It isn’t done inclusively at all. No one called our female Director “the girl who runs our office”.
I’m not keen on guys either but sometimes it just fits. Definitely for me, anyone over 18 isn’t a “girl”.

Hmm, I have tended to use guys. Girls I can't stand when referring to adults, ladies also grates badly because it sounds posh, and addressing a group as simply "women" sounds kinda rude, I wouldn't address a group of men as "men". Will try out folks for size I think. It's a bit folksy but at least nice and neutral.

I don't think anyone is canvassing support for "girls".

Simeon else mention it up thread? They found it dismissively I agree with them.
Sorry to derail

I find "women" a difficult one. It should be the most natural when it is a group of women assembled, but it feels jarring and makes me think of the language chauvinist types use when asked not to call said women, girls. A new colleague (female) uses it though and I like how she does.

I can't think of many situations (certainly not professional ones) where any of 'ladies', 'women' or 'men', 'gents' (etc for the blokes) would be required rather than a neutral term ('everyone') even if the group happened to be single sex.

Most of my friends are women in their 40s who constantly refer to each other as girls, or the girls.
It annoys me a bit, but there's not much I can do about it.
Guys I don't like, but I hate folks, it sounds like somebody trying to be a hillbilly to my ears.
At work I'd say everybody or team, no need to gender it.

I find "women" a difficult one. It should be the most natural when it is a group of women assembled
Peachyoghurt often types "Wims", which I love, although I'd feel weird using it myself because I don't know if it's a language artefact from Dutch or a particular lesbian community phrase or something, and it might be strange coming out of my mouth.

I do think a lot of this is regional and situation-specific - I can't imagine anyone in my area reading "lass" as anything but a bit old-fashioned, and I'll accept "girls" to a group of adults if it's coming from a witheringly sarcastic woman

I'm trying to reduce "guys", "folks" and "chaps" in favour of "people" or "everyone" for all groups, single-sex or mixed, at work. The kids still get a sharp "boys!" or "girls!" if it's a particular group playing up, but as a whole group I call them by their class name.

deydododatdodontdeydo
Guys I don't like, but I hate folks, it sounds like somebody trying to be a hillbilly to my ears.

Haha you'd better not look at the Rainbow Greens twitter account then.

"We need to be able to accept all women into women's network & quotas. Cis folk only need to learn about some basic requirements."

By 'need to learn' they mean 'need to be re-educated'

Not keen on 'guys'. I hate 'folks'.

But I am going to brave it on the FWR board by admitting I don't mind 'ladies', as long as the males are referred to as gents.

You could just shout 'oi you bastards'.

What an interesting thread -our language preferences are so individual. I think context has a lot to do with it -a word used in one situation can sound wrong in another.
Personally I don't mind "guys" too much, it reminds me of 'the young ones'. It can sound a bit 'kids TV presenter ' though.

It's like the word woman sounds quite unpleasant somehow as we tend to use euphemisms. Especially in Scotland I think. It's very unnatural not to say 'a lady ' when you mean 'a woman'.

I had a discussion bordering on disagreement with my mother in law over this. She sees 'that woman' as a derogatory way to refer to someone, I don't especially.

My mum was of a generation where 'shawlie woman' was common parlance alongside 'ask the nice lady'.

I don't know if we notice how class is coded into language less or if we genuinely care less about class but thot/sket/basic bitch/road boy/chav aren't encouraging tbh.
The first two are two of many many words for supposedly promiscuous women. Most languages have way more words for promiscuous women than promiscuous men.
I'm a linguist originally and I find discourse analysis interesting within feminist academic thought.
Manmade language by dale spender is a good read if anyone is similarly interested.