Comments | evitavalenciana: Question for women

evitavalenciana

Question for women

Feb 28, 2008 09:02

I was reading Dear Abby recently (Dear Abby is so fun) and I discovered something that surprised me. I am curious how my LJ friends feel about this ( Read more... )

Comments 10

izzy23 February 28 2008, 14:20:05 UTC

I always use "you guys" for groups in a casual context, even groups of women. I've never considered it particularly "male", but even if I did, it wouldn't occur to me to be upset, or even mildly annoyed by it--as feminist issues go, there are a lot more significant things out there to worry about. While I'm generally a proponent of calling people what they want to be called, and do try not to offend, I have to admit I'd probably have a harder time taking somebody seriously on other issues if they made a huge deal about this.

I also use "you guys" roughly the same way as most folks down here use "y'all", regardless of gender. Both my parents are originally from Long Island, too!

evitavalenciana February 28 2008, 19:34:12 UTC

Yeah, it seems like a pretty small thing to get upset over, although I do agree in general about calling people what they want to be called.

kwanboa February 28 2008, 14:24:52 UTC

I don't care, myself. But then again, I'm often bewildered at the tiny little things people get worked up over for like, more than an hour.

tisoi February 28 2008, 14:31:34 UTC

I considered "you guys" to be part of colloquial General American. I hear it a lot here in the west coast. And also back east.

No woman has complained to me because they pretty much do the same thing to - except my 9 year old sister, but she's sassy. ;-P

Have you seen this? http://www.languagehat.com/archives/003044.php

I used "y'all" too but I am not from the south.. I lived on military bases where there were people from everywhere in the country, so I may have picked it up there. I also used to say "ya's" (youse) perhaps from being in New Jersey. I don't say it as much.. like very very rarely.

You know, the British say "you lot."

kwanboa February 28 2008, 14:40:23 UTC

There are a LOT of people in Newfoundland, Canada, who say "y'all" now. I picked up their slang and they picked up mine. Before that, they'd probably say "you guys", "ya", or "ye", or "yous".

I think language importation is FUN.

evitavalenciana February 28 2008, 19:29:56 UTC

That languagehat post is referring to the very Dear Abby column that I am!

I like "you lot." I should start using it. :-D

gleasonfeller February 28 2008, 15:14:36 UTC

I use "you guys" and "ya'll" all the time! The fact that I work in a predominantly male business might have something to do with that. I am the only female in my group and I rarely interact with other women at work. I have no problem when people use this term to refer to a group with me in it. On a different note, being from the South I tend to use "ya'll" a lot, and being California natives my guy coworkers think it's funny.

evitavalenciana February 28 2008, 19:32:03 UTC

Yes, it's interesting how funny y'all can be. Of course, I was very tickled when I met some Long Island relatives for the first time and they said "yous guys" and "are yous gonna go to the store" and stuff like that. Totally unfamiliar to me!

editornia February 28 2008, 22:24:13 UTC

My mum gets indignant about it, but I don't. Shop assistants tend to say "guys" when refering to anyone, and doesn't my mother really take offense to that! Yipes. :S

I use Y'all as a matter of course. It just suits me. :)
I think I picked it up (somewhere - don't ask me where/when!) while learning American Studies. ;)