# Calling women "guys" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093 "2006-12-21T17:56:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/21 "2006-12-21T21:25:50Z")
We don’t use “gals” here so “guys” for a group of both male and female or either is common. I have more problems reconciling with being called “cobber” than I do being “one of the guys”. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/22 "2006-12-21T21:29:31Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] “Girls” often comes off as condescending when used by certain mouths. I’m not saying every time, but often enough. And I’m sorry, but colloquially “guys” does NOT mean boys only anymore. I’ll make you a fair exchange. YOU come up with an appropriate English word for “You -plural”. You make it popular, so the majority of people understand it. And then I’ll start using it. English is severely lacking in this one pronoun. It’s the reason why I don’t mind “Y’all” one bit, because there is no alternative, and why I feel :dubious: when I use “Y’all” and someone chides me because I’m not from the South and yet am using a Southernism. What else am I supposed to say? If you called us “gals” I’d laugh at you. What an antiquated word. [/QUOTE] I worked with a lot of women in college and they would bristle if I used the word “guys” to address an exclusively female group. Really couldn’t blame them–I’d hardly go to an association of female firefighters convention and address them all as firemen. Now, all my colleagues in my building/work area are women, so I say “Y’all”, though I do it without any southern affectation or faux accent. It comes off seamlessly without bringing up the gender issue as it would if I used the term “ladies” or “gals”. I also use “everyone” if it doesn’t sound too weird or awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/23 "2006-12-21T21:45:03Z")
I sometimes even call women ‘dude’. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/24 "2006-12-21T21:50:43Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] Isn’t that how Latin-based languages are? Like in Spanish single female is -a ending, single male is -o ending, groups of females -as ending, groups of males -os ending, group mixed is -os ending. Four years of Spanish…sort of blanking. But I think that’s the general gist. [/QUOTE] Yes, that’s the way it works. Sometimes I wish that English had more gender. Some women are offended by the word “chick.” But it’s probably derived from the Spanish _chica_. So, there’s also _chico_ for “male chicks.” (Or a group of _chicas y chicos_.) Equal opportunity! I’ve encountered the term “Chicano/a Studies”–which is appalling. Bad English, Bad Spanish & not very good Spanglish. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/25 "2006-12-21T21:58:02Z")
I make it a point to address any (familiar) group of men as “ladies”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/26 "2006-12-21T21:58:40Z")
Ok…so I can use ‘guys’ as a plural? Or I can’t? Ok…lets make this easy: How many women here will I piss off if I call the group of people that they are a part of at the time ‘guys’ in a non-condescending, honestly-trying-to-be-inclusive way? Show of hands, please? ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/27 "2006-12-21T22:01:09Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] Ok…so I can use ‘guys’ as a plural? Or I can’t? Ok…lets make this easy: How many women here will I piss off if I call the group of people that they are a part of at the time ‘guys’ in a non-condescending, honestly-trying-to-be-inclusive way? Show of hands, please? [/QUOTE] not me. ---
**Author:** ![A.I.Wintermute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@A.I.Wintermute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.I.Wintermute)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/28 "2006-12-21T22:04:47Z")
man/woman boy/girl guy/girl I think the problem’s there. Girl seems to be pulling double duty opposite “boy” and “guy” but brings with it the same implied condescension of “boy.” Let’s check out our options for addressing a group: “Hey ladies…” -\> sleazy guy at the bar “Hey gals…” -\> better make sure you’re not a) wearing cowboy boots or b) a character from a Trixie Beldon novel “Hey girls…” -\> condescending “Hey women…” -\> ahahahaha! “Hey guys…” -\> unless you like one of the above better… ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/29 "2006-12-21T22:08:07Z")
Not me either. I think if a woman gets mad at you for “you guys” then you did something else to piss her off. “You girls” could be a little annoying, though. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/30 "2006-12-21T22:19:01Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] Ok…so I can use ‘guys’ as a plural? Or I can’t? Ok…lets make this easy: How many women here will I piss off if I call the group of people that they are a part of at the time ‘guys’ in a non-condescending, honestly-trying-to-be-inclusive way? Show of hands, please? [/QUOTE] Not me, either. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/31 "2006-12-21T22:21:15Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] All the time. On the other hand, I don’t call groups of men “girls.” How is that fair? [/QUOTE] Heck, I’ve heard many a sergeant address a bunch of us (mostly if not uniformly -heh- male) with “Okay, ladies, here’s the plan…” or words to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/32 "2006-12-21T23:01:38Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] English is severely lacking in this one pronoun. […] If you called us “gals” I’d laugh at you. What an antiquated word. [/QUOTE] Having endured numerous heated discussions between women over the years arising from nothing but widely varying individual preferences over this very issue, I have taken to crippling my use of the language by avoiding constructions that would require it. I worked with one especially delightful lesbian cowgirl who called women “gals” with such affection and charm that it changed many hearts. But usually there is just rancor and sour displeasure over the various options. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/33 "2006-12-21T23:05:34Z")
Now look here **chaps**. I realise that Callie (from CSI Miami) has a lovely drawl when she says “ya’ll”, but let’s stick with the original. If it was good enough for PG Wodehouse… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/34 "2006-12-21T23:31:53Z")
[QUOTE=Dumbguy] I sometimes even call women ‘dude’. [/QUOTE] _Dude!_ So do I. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/35 "2006-12-22T00:01:08Z")
If I’m addressing a group of women, I’ll usually say “ladies.” But I’m a woman myself, and it would strike me as odd if a man were to do the same thing. This is why I love “y’all.” ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/36 "2006-12-22T00:43:49Z")
“Folks” or “Ladies”. Folks is nice because it sounds well, folksy if a little old-fashioned. It doesn’t have any baggage associated with it and it works well with a mixed group. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/37 "2006-12-22T01:12:24Z")
I get frustrated at our language’s lack of genderless pronouns. I wish we had a word that could be used in place of he/she that wouldn’t reveal gender, because it would save us a lot of embarassment and time spent on gender-correction. This is why I like “you all,” or “y’all,” it offends no one. If someone on a messageboard mistakenly refers to me as “she,” I often wonder what triggered them to arrive at such a conclusion. Usually, I take it as a compliment because I pride myself in being an exception to oafish male stereotypes. Kind of like the warm fuzzies I get when someone mistakenly thinks I’m gay. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/38 "2006-12-22T01:23:01Z")
“Gals” sounds kinda cheap, like “toots.” I think guys has become largely androgynous, and will grow more so as time marches on. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/39 "2006-12-22T01:57:42Z")
You can call me guy - even if you are addressing my girlfriends and myself without a male in sight. In Minnesota guys is a gender neutral term and has been for as long as I’ve been aware of it. (I grew up in Kentucky where the plural is ya’all - which I don’t find to be a bad plural form at all - you sound a little like a hick, but that would pass if it were generally accepted, when I got to Minnesota I discovered the plural you is “you guys.”) Call me “gal” or me and my girlfriends “gals” and you’ll be lucky if all we do is kill you with the nasty look. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093/40 "2006-12-22T02:04:34Z")
I like guys. It sounds friendly, easy, companionable. I have found only a few guys who say “girls” without coming off as superior! And in the Northeast, we are pretty accustomed to guys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-women-guys/385093.md?page=3)