Calling females "you guys": Classic or Dud?

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As in, "You guys wanna go get a drink?" etc etc.

Can refer to mixed M & F or just F. Girls say it to each other. I still catch myself saying it, although I've thought it was dud since 1996. But then, I also think it's dud to refer to males as "guys".

Is there a parallel trend in he UK? Calling females "you mates"? "Lads"?

― Curt, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If I'm consciously thinking about it, I try 'you folks' -- seems to work. But more than likely I just say 'guys' most of the time.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lately I have been unsure what to say so I say 'all y'all' instead.

― Josh, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have always said (and still often do say) "you guys" before to my close friends who are girls. I see nothing wrong with it, and to my knowledge neither do they. It's in the context; if they get along with you, they understand it as a positive/bonding/affectionate phrase, not that you think they look like guys or something like that.

Though when I am in a more formal setting (e.g. in the classroom) comprised mostly or entirely of females and have to make an announcement, I generally stick to "you folks," just in case there are PC'ers present. Not entirely happy with that phrase (sounds a bit too "golly gee whitakers", Orville Reddenbacher-ish to me), but in lieu of anything better...and again, they seem to take to it just fine.

― Joe, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic. "You girls" sounds stupid and sexist, "you women" sounds odd and detached, "you ladies" makes you sound like the Ladies Man from SNL or any other kind of dork trying to be sexy. I've only had (I think) 2 women say, "Guy? Do I look like a guy to you?" I don't remember what I said.

― Nude Spock, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As long as you don't address me as bird (or, in dutch, griet) all is fine. I simply detest it when guys call or refer to girls as birds. *shudder*

― nathalie (nathalie), Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I say yall as well.

― anthony, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I say you fuckers or Does any one

― anthony, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Having spent too much time w/ a few bright & shiny indie-type friends, I uses the word "kids" -- as in, "Hey kids, wanna grab a drink?"

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I say "You guys" to females all the time. I mean, is "guy" specifically male, or is it just a collective noun, because there really is no female equivalent (what is it supposed to be? guys and dolls?)

Maybe this is why the raving feminists on this tour hate me so much- we've got a party of 12 women and 6 men, and I call everyone "guys" all the time. Sigh.

― Kate the Saint, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If I say anything I say 'kids'. But I don't, really. I'm mainly mute.

N.B. "You mates" = not a possible construction. Mates = friends. You don't say "you friends".

― Nick, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just say 'let's go drinking'. Or 'you lot'.

'You guys' sounds well, too American.

― suzy, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I say "Cats" because I am hep, and sometimes "Kittencats" because I am uberkewl.

― mark s, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As I don't have any girl friends as Pete is constantly reminding me this is never a problem. I think 'you guys' is better than, say, ' you guys and gals'.

The following can all be used when inviting me for a drink: Miss, Emma, Em, Treacle, Princess, Darling, Babe, Gorgeous, Sugar.

― Emma, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Better (and more conversation-enhancing) ways to address groups of women: "you gentlemen" "you fine fellows".

― Tim, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Guys does sound very American, but that can have it's uses. I normally use kids or lot myself, with a smattering of buggers.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Because I am a corporate lackey I say "OK people".

(PS not really. I probably say "you lot")

― Tom, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kittens, I have started using lately. 'You lot' is a good standby. I have yet to employ 'Anyone in this beotch' in spoken language. So far I still consider it Classical ILE-tin.

― Nick, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What is dud is calling women females. It is truly vile. Female sounds like you are describing animals in a nature documentary and it makes me think of policemen (e.g. the female was acting suspiciously) or creepy men in strange jumpers. Call us women. Or girls. Or ladies. Or chicks. I don't even mind birds. But NOT FEMALES.

― Emma, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yo fuckers works for me.

― Geoff, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm going to have to start yelling, "Hey lads!" to my female friends. Usually we all just say "guys" to each other, except for one who favors "fucknuts."

― Lyra, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with Emma. Hearing men say 'females' is horrid. I usually just say 'oi, burds, let's go' instead. Well, sometimes.

― Ally C, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't agree with Emma, but then the Cookie Crew's Females ("Fe-males - we gotta lot to say") was my feminist epiphany.

― Nick, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry - I can't let that be subject to any doubt. The Cookie Crew's Females was not my feminist epiphany. That was a joke.

― Nick, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I only say "females of the species". "Guys of the species" just sounds so fake ingratiating.

― Curt, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was going to come up with a general acronym for my female friends but gave up when my treacherous brain only offered suggestions like Sweet, Lovably Attractive Girls and Sexy Ladies Are Pretty PERfect.

(Sometimes I feel that I've been cursed with the sense of humor of a 14-year-old, but then someone farts and I giggle like a madman.)

― Dan Perry, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I usually say "You hoe's best be gettin' nekked."

― JM, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Bitches leeeeave"

― DavidM, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

seven months pass...

classic. also I like to call girls "dude"

― Ron, Friday, 19 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"yo biznatches!"

― geeta, Friday, 19 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"e-vvill-wom-en!"

― ducklingmonster, Friday, 19 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Weirdly, my mate Emma will use 'come on you bunch of slappers' to close female friends. It comes across as quite affectionate thou

― Anna, Saturday, 20 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like the word female. It doesn't make me think of nature documentries, it just makes me think of me. Woman makes me think of a washer-woman, lady makes me think of someone middle-aged and posh, girl makes me think of someone with blonde ringlets (think Kirsten Dunst in Interview With a Vampire). Girl used to make me think of me but I've recently out grown it.

I use "guys" a lot to address male, female and mixed groups but I will sometimes use "girls" instead, even if there are one or two guys present. Guys sounds more neutral though.

― toraneko, Saturday, 20 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic - and has been since at least TV's The Electric Company
at the start of the show there's a famoous callout "HEY YOU GUYS!!!"
whatta ya think - the show wuz only fer boyzzz?

― Paul, Saturday, 20 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

to mixed company i would say guys, or fuckers, or cunts or something. but i'm almost always in mixed company so i don't have the opportunity to be gender specific. i don't see it as sexist or exclusivist to call a bunch of women "guys", cos its more connotative of friendship in that context than the male gender.

― di, Saturday, 20 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I work with engineers and "guy" is engineer-speak for any thing. As in (the engineer points to an electrical diagram), "This guy here is supposed to tristate when this guy over here sends it 3 milliamps. That lets this guy have comtrol."

― Little Nipper, Saturday, 20 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Again I think we should say uphill gardeners or HONKIES. (In any situation)!!!

― Sarah, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

lately i have been using "Chaps" or "ChapX0rs". HOW i manage to actually SPEEK the haxX0r language is a mystery but it comes out somehow. also GEEZERS and BURDS (not cf. the streets though, just cf. my 'ard Eastendahs upbringing heheh :))

― katie, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i just wanna add that Paul's mention of the Electric Company's yell of "HEY YOU GUYS!!" is the one at the beginning of that Cornelius track.

1... 2...

1... 2... 3... >mew<

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like to say "you people" or sometimes I'll say clowns or fools or something, in the nicest possible way. The root of the problem is that you plural is not functional at all. In Ireland people from the country say "ye", except their accents make it sound more "yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee". "what are yeeeeeeeee doing". We Dubliners are much more sophisticated of course, with our fancy washing products.

― Ronan, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Like katie I also speak the -X0r syntax, somehow against my will. I definitely used RoX0r and HornX0r over the weekend.

― Dr. C, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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