language

[redrider]

Not trying to offend any one, just a general assessment. The wife and I go out for a meal. The waiter or waitress come up and says "Hi Guys". Hold it right there, I am a Guy and she is a Gal. Masculine and Feminine. It may seem minor to most but the misuse of these terms is getting to be beyond irksome. It seems most humans simply run their mouths without thinking. Just rote phrases that make an English teacher cringe. So how do the women on this site feel about being lumped in with the "Guys" when a post begins with "... guys..."? I know, it may be a social media thing but did not any one learn how to speak properly? Rant over.

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[Atomicat]

It is sort of a shame...that of all the the things wrong in the world, you chose that to make you butt-hurt. How would you have greeted a couple of mixed gender? Hello, two people of non- specific gender, how was your 24 hour period leading up to this specific time at this location?
Seriously, just relax. The comment wasn't made to yank anyone's chain. Everyone is just prowling for something to get mad about. Let's all take a deep breathe and chill. Just my 2 cents.

 

[TwelveGaugeSage]

How do you feel about terms like "airman" being used to refer to female members of the Air Force?

 

[Jeep-A-Kneez]

In singular form guy is slang for a male. In the plural form it can be used for a group of people, not just males. It's interesting how vocabulary can differ from place to place and evolve from one meaning to another over time.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I’m glad we don’t speak in exactness. The server did not say “hello humans”. I would understand your confusion or issue if it was the very first time you’ve ever heard that slang used, especially being well educated in the continually “dumbed down” language or word erasing culture.

Can you imagine a world…let’s pigeon hole this a little tighter, …imagine the line up at the grocery store checkout. You’re in a line up of 4 people with their carts full. We all have schedules, people to see, places to go. We don’have the time to hang out forever but when each person gets to the checkout, the employee at the till says,.. “hi, how are you, and in correctness and language accuracy each person spills out what’s going on emotionally for them as a pose to just saying “I’m fine” or “great”.

However, you’re educated and also triggered by this phrase. I think it’s deeper for you than just the literal meaning of word use of “guys” for a mixed gender gathering. You feel it, therefore it maters but it’s deeper than just the surface use of it.

 

[redrider]

When adressing a group I use the term "Folks". I really do not give a RA about the modern pronoun crap but some basic rules of engagement seem to have been dicarded. It also seems only guys/males have responded. BTW, it was the wife who first had the twisted knickers.

 

[foo.c]

I'd say it's normal American English lexicon.

 

[Dark_Iron_Mojave]

Aside from the fact that it's common in multiple languages, it's been in common use in America for 70+ years, and that's just the easily provable timeframe. Find any TV show from the 50's and here them use "guys" to describe any mixed group of people.

 

[AggieJeep]

This use is commonplace and typically infers a more casual and friendly conversation. Don’t go looking for disrespect or think someone else’s’ word choice should be in lock-step with yours. From your description, my take is the “server” was just trying to be nice and here you are digging for a reason to whine.

Check yourself and remember you asked for input.I’m not intending to offend you, but i find your reaction here to be incomprehensible.

 

[JP1]

I personally use 'folks', like "Hey folks"
But really?
This is your worst problem in life?
I FUCKING GIVE UP, get therapy dammit...
What in the flying fuck are we coming down to?

SHIT!!!

OK, my rant over...

 

[staying_tuned]

You mentioned “waiter or waitress”. We’re you unable to determine gender, or did you feel gender was irrelevant in the context of this post when creating it?

This nonsense cuts both ways. Don’t get wrapped up around the axle on it.

 

[CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail]

Not trying to offend any one, just a general assessment. The wife and I go out for a meal. The waiter or waitress come up and says "Hi Guys". Hold it right there, I am a Guy and she is a Gal. Masculine and Feminine. It may seem minor to most but the misuse of these terms is getting to be beyond irksome. It seems most humans simply run their mouths without thinking. Just rote phrases that make an English teacher cringe. So how do the women on this site feel about being lumped in with the "Guys" when a post begins with "... guys..."? I know, it may be a social media thing but did not any one learn how to speak properly? Rant over.

So true! It also infuriates me when people say, "What's up?"! Like, should we look up towards the ceiling when people say that and describe anything above us? Also frustrating is the callous use of the term "boys"! It is a word for males under the age of 18. Don Henley's song, "The Boys of Summer" should properly be called, "The Adult Males of the Summer" to be more precise. And the old TV sitcom should be called, "The Golden Senior Female Humans". What about American football? It should be properly called, 'Oblong Arm Ball' because of how the ball is actually advanced. I am glad someone is focusing on this critical issue instead of Gladiator topics, the economy, social welfare, human liberty or other such trivial distractions!

 

[Garemlin]

At least you got a friendly greeting.

People in customer service positions that don't know how to address people politely.

Like walking into a store and instead of "can/may I help you?" I get "what do you want?"

Or being addressed as boss, slick, dude, chief or one of any other party friend monikers.

Another mildly irritating one that is so overused is "have a good one" Have a good what? Crap? Seizure? You made it to "good" with minimal effort. Day or evening isn't that much more of an effort than "one".

 

[SteveInOrlando]

At least you got a friendly greeting.

People in customer service positions that don't know how to address people politely.

Like walking into a store and instead of "can/may I help you?" I get "what do you want?"

Or being addressed as boss, slick, dude, chief or one of any other party friend monikers.

Another mildly irritating one that is so overused is "have a good one" Have a good what? Crap? Seizure? You made it to "good" with minimal effort. Day or evening isn't that much more of an effort than "one".

Welcome to the 21st century.

Some of us live in a world without borders.

I routinely have meetings with people in locations around the world. When you start a meeting with people in the meeting from the east coast, the west coast, London, India, and the Manilla. It is rude to say good morning when it is often late at night. At the end of the meeting we often say have a good one because what it is will be different for each team member in the meeting.

What you are considering polite, in my world is rude. What you are considering rude, in my world is polite. You seem very dated in your use of language!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

When adressing a group I use the term "Folks". I really do not give a RA about the modern pronoun crap but some basic rules of engagement seem to have been dicarded. It also seems only guys/males have responded. BTW, it was the wife who first had the twisted knickers.

LOL - it's my wife that uses the term, and if asked "how are you guys doing" she's the first to answer "just fine" or similar.
Around here everyone, man, woman, other, all respond and accept that "guys" has been used since I was a kid, maybe longer than that, to refer to a group in a friendly familiar way.
"Hi guys" has been used longer than I can remember, and no one has ever said a word about it. Women use it as often as men, at least around Iowa and other places I've visited.
Example - tour guide recently asked us "would you guys like to visit............." and there were 3 women (including my wife) in the group, he was Israeli and spoke 5 languages. No one blinked an eye, and each of the women in the group used that sort of phrase more than once.

Sort of joking, sort of not, but it seems to me to be as common as "Y'all" is in some places.

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