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Did you read the article that the author linked to, in regards to this? You wouldn't walk up to a woman and say "You're a really great guy!" What would happen i

Did you read the article that the author linked to, in regards to this? You wouldn't walk up to a woman and say "You're a really great guy!" What would happen if you went into a mixed-gendered room and asked all the "guys" to stand up? If someone said "everyone knows it's a guys' world" what would they mean? If you went into a restaurant with cutely-named bathrooms, and went into the "guys" bathroom, you would probably be surprised to find women in there. If someone described The Spice Girls as a "group of guys" that would likely be more confusing than someone describing The Beatles as a "group of guys" It might sound completely normal to your ears to use "guys" in reference to any group of people because you're so used to responding to it (and, yes, I Internet-stalked you a bit to confirm your gender). Having never personally identified with the word "guy," however, I, at least sub-consciously, and sometimes consciously, think it's odd when someone calls me a "guy." I mean, I'll absolutely respond, and won't say anything to the speaker, but I'll feel a tiny bit put-off, and maybe a little self-conscious, because I'm the only person in my company who isn't actually a "guy" Like the author also brought up, there are plenty of alternatives to "guys"

ta82828 12y ago
Human languages don't work like programming languages, you can't always derive the meaning of a phrase from its parts. There are large groups of English speakers among whom, men and women alike, "you guys" is an idiom independent in meaning from the word "guy", and is used as a gender neutral plural second person pronoun. If one is in the company of such speakers there is nothing wrong with using it.
- erroneousfunk 12y ago
  Sure, it might be well-accepted in some groups and in some contexts. But why would you use it in the workplace, when there is absolutely controversy around the phrase? https://www.google.com/webhp?q=is+%22you+guys%22+gender+neutral https://www.google.com/webhp?q=is+%22you+guys%22+gender+neut... Why would you use it in an environment where women already feel oddly singled-out because they're in the extreme minority, and when there are plenty of other perfectly-acceptable phrases? It's definitely not as bad as a group I'm in being addressed as "gentlemen" (which has happened too many times to count), but it's still annoying, in a work context. I don't mind it when I'm with a group of friends, or there are roughly equal numbers of men and women.
rsuelzer 12y ago
Thank you. I've learned a lot from this and have posted a response to my original comment.

ta82828 12y ago

Human languages don't work like programming languages, you can't always derive the meaning of a phrase from its parts. There are large groups of English speakers among whom, men and women alike, "you guys" is an idiom independent in meaning from the word "guy", and is used as a gender neutral plural second person pronoun. If one is in the company of such speakers there is nothing wrong with using it.

erroneousfunk 12y ago
Sure, it might be well-accepted in some groups and in some contexts. But why would you use it in the workplace, when there is absolutely controversy around the phrase? https://www.google.com/webhp?q=is+%22you+guys%22+gender+neutral https://www.google.com/webhp?q=is+%22you+guys%22+gender+neut... Why would you use it in an environment where women already feel oddly singled-out because they're in the extreme minority, and when there are plenty of other perfectly-acceptable phrases? It's definitely not as bad as a group I'm in being addressed as "gentlemen" (which has happened too many times to count), but it's still annoying, in a work context. I don't mind it when I'm with a group of friends, or there are roughly equal numbers of men and women.

rsuelzer 12y ago

Thank you. I've learned a lot from this and have posted a response to my original comment.