earthson Posted May 27, 2014 Posted May 27, 2014 Right - Questions 3-5 are really only relevant for northern states. I live in Nashville, Tennessee and we use "y'all" for groups of men, women, or mixed gender. Additionally, "y'all" is used when addressing a solitary person regardless of gender. "Guys" would be used only as a substitute for the word "men" or "boys" as in "Forget it, dude - she's not into guys." "You guys" in only used by visiting Northerners who think "y'all" is a Hollywood invention. And, for what it's worth, I've never known anyone to be ashamed in saying "You guys" to a group of women.
cottierm Posted May 27, 2014 Author Posted May 27, 2014 Thanks RoRo for your further comment on “y’all”! “Ashamed”, no, but maybe thinking that such expression is “grammatically and semantically ‘incorrect’”! Best, Michel
cottierm Posted May 28, 2014 Author Posted May 28, 2014 Anyone still interested in taking the questionnaire?
sw15825 Posted May 28, 2014 Posted May 28, 2014 A C C B B As an note, I lived for some years in Tennesse when I was younger and at the time adopted " Ya All" to all female or mixed sex groups because it seemed gender neutral and just felt more comfortable to say. I can now say Hi Guys to mixed sex groups, but it feels strange when I have said You Guys to all female group.
DrunkenMonkey Posted May 28, 2014 Posted May 28, 2014 thinking that such expression is grammatically and semantically incorrect! Best, Michel Correct usage is whatever's actually used. There's nothing incorrect about addressing a group of females as "you guys". Is it incorrect to refer to girls as 'birds', as our English friends do, just because they don't have feathers and fly? There's nothing incorrect about it, just because the girl isn't literally a bird in the taxonomical sense. It's a real, actual part of the language.
sw15825 Posted May 28, 2014 Posted May 28, 2014 Correct usage is whatever's actually used. There's nothing incorrect about addressing a group of females as "you guys". Is it incorrect to refer to girls as 'birds', as our English friends do, just because they don't have feathers and fly? There's nothing incorrect about it, just because the girl isn't literally a bird in the taxonomical sense. It's a real, actual part of the language. This is true there are many regional differences all over the world in this context of groups of people. For instance here in Western Pennsylvania we have "Yinz" as an expression to groups of all sexes.I am not an English teacher or expert, but think this a regional expression of slang. I dont think the O.P. meant to include these types of terms as they are not present in the questionnaire. Hopefully the o.p. can clarify on this.
cottierm Posted May 28, 2014 Author Posted May 28, 2014 As long as the girl in question is happy to be called a ‘bird’ it is fine by me.
DrunkenMonkey Posted May 28, 2014 Posted May 28, 2014 I don't think it's used to address them directly.
cottierm Posted May 28, 2014 Author Posted May 28, 2014 "I don't think it's used to address them directly". Living in North America your are the expert on this point! On the other hand both ‘guys‘ and ‘girls‘ are/may be used directly.
DrunkenMonkey Posted May 29, 2014 Posted May 29, 2014 "I don't think it's used to address them directly". Living in North America your are the expert on this point! On the other hand both guys and girls are/may be used directly. It was an analogy; I wasn't suggesting they were the same thing.
cottierm Posted May 29, 2014 Author Posted May 29, 2014 Well understood. I was just joking. All the best, Michel
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 Dear all, I need the help of those of you living in North America (Canada and US) and willing to answer the five questions at the end of this message. I am currently working on an English linguistic paper and need your opinion concerning expressions such as 'Hi guys' or 'You guys' when the word 'guys' is addressed to mixed-sex groups or all-female groups. Additionally, question 5 bears on expressions such as 'Hi girls' or 'You girls' when addressed to mixed-sex groups or all-male groups. As I suspect that the majority of members on this forum are male, would you be kind enough to ask your girlfriend/partner/wife to answer this short questionnaire as well? This questionnaire is very basic and extremely short; I just need you to answer me off-line by using my handle and indicating your answers as follows: '1. a; 2. b; 3. a', and so on. Do not hesitate to add some personal comments to flesh out your answers to this questionnaire if you have any. There is no prize/reward for participating to this questionnaire other than the satisfaction to have helped a fellow FOH member! Thanks in advance for your kind help. Michel QUESTIONNAIRE: PERSONAL INFORMATION 1. You are: a. a man. b. a woman. 2. Your age: a. 20-30. b. 31-40. c. 41-50. d. 50+ QUESTIONS 3. When you hear expressions such as 'Hi guys' or 'You guys' addressed to a mixed-sex group or an all-female group, are you: a. still surprised by this usage. b. finding it a bit strange but nothing more. c. hardly noticing it because this usage has become so common nowadays. 4. Do you yourself use such expressions to addressed mixed-sex groups or all-female groups: a. never/not really. b. sometimes. c. frequently. 5. Conversely, when using expressions such as 'Hi girls' or 'You girls' to address a mixed-sex group or an all-male group, do you do it: a. ironically/jokingly. b. as a conscious way of reversing gender stereotypes. c. the question is irrelevant as you never use such expressions to address mixed-sex groups or all-female groups. That's it! Thanks again Direct Answers to your Questions: 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. C Comments: I am originally from the South so as has been stated before, I did not grow up using the term 'you guys' or 'you gals'. Ya'll was the term for male, female, and/or mixed gender groups of two or more. When in lived in Northeast for a few years, 'Yinz' (It sounded like 'Youinz' to me at the time) was used the same as 'Ya'll' in the South. I currently live in California (for the past 14 years) and 'you guys' or 'you guys' is used much more frequently here. I do use the term 'you guys' to address groups of males and/or mixed groups but not to groups of females. While I do here others use the term for all three groups, it is not common for me. Groups of females usually comes out as 'ladies'. Caveat: When I am in the South, around my Southern family here in California, or have any alcohol in me...Ya'll is the term used. When I am in the South and I am sober and accidentally use the term 'You guys', I fully expect to get crap from my friends and family.
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 ...and just to double check...did you mean to say in Question 5, Answer C, mixed groups or ALL-MALE groups instead of all-female groups?
cottierm Posted May 31, 2014 Author Posted May 31, 2014 Thanks Harvey Boulevard for your answers and detailed comment which will prove extremely useful. No, I did mean 'mixed or all-female group' in 5.c. Best, Michel
cottierm Posted June 1, 2014 Author Posted June 1, 2014 Thanks to all who answered my questionnaire! Mods, could you please close this post? All the best, Michel
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