Guys?

[Sqad]

At one time, "guys" were the fellows and the women were just nothing or perhaps "dolls," but now both sexes are "guys."

When did this change come about?

[murraymints]

Sqad....I for one will never be mistaken for a "guy".....hate the term myself..prefer folks or peeps...unless of course you are Sam or Guy !!!

[Georgiesmum]

Im sure saying "guys" is just another americanism that weve added to our vocabulary.

[FredPuli43]

Jayne's punning 'Guy folks' is dead accurate. 'Guy' does come from Guy Fawkes. He was, is, burned in effigy on the 5th of November and children made their own guys, dressing these in old clothes. So the word got transferred to any scruffy man and thence became a friendly word for a man, then for any man. That usage crossed with settlers in America but the word died out here, just as 'gotten' and 'faucet', for any tap, has.

The influence of American films and TV caused its revival here. And why is it now used for both sexes ? A consciousness of sexual equality, though I think it sounds odd when used for women. I don't think it is used in the singular for a woman, but was used in the plural for a mixed group of both sexes and that use has been extended to a group of women ; "Hey, you guys!" is now addressed to both single sex and mixed groups.

[Sqad]

Fred!......Fred!.......that was my pun. not Jayne's........;-)

[jno]

probably when women got tired of being dolls or nothing?

[FredPuli43]

Oh yes, Sqad. Jayne just repeated it, with double '?' Apologies.

[Maydup]

"Hey Guys", "you guys" or any other use of this hideous term is just far, far too jolly for me. It brings the absolute worse out in me and if used to include me, and turns me into a complete monster!

[Sqad]

Fred.....no need to apologise......I am not known for my humour, so when I try i need some appreciation.....a sort of inferiority complex.

[FredPuli43]

Still working on Samuel Peeps though, Sqad. Wasn't he a cat in a Beatrix Potter book ? A problem.May have to sleep on it.

[mike11111]

When I hear that awfully affected word 'peeps' it has the same effect on me as nails scratching on a blackboard; it makes my heckles rise and gets my back up immediately to the extent that I have very negative feelings towards the person using it.

[joggerjayne]

"guys" ... "turns me into a complete monster! "

Crikey !

LOL

[Smowball]

A lot of it is due to the american tv shows - every kids show my son watches is american and thats all they say - "Hey guys" or "You guys".

As for equality, I love it when a man holds open a door for me, or anything like that - makes me smile.

[mccfluff]

i call everyone pieface

[littleja]

mccfluff, You are hilarious make me laugh out loud. got terminal cancer so need to laugh . Keep it coming.

[starone]

Personally I hate it. A guy is a man as far as I am concerned and I do not want to be a man. I like being a woman. I want to be looked after, and cossetted and all those other things like doors being opened instead of being left to bang in your face. As the song says, 'I enjoy being a girl' even if I am an old one. P.S. You are lovely sqad.

[Sqad]

starby

\\\\You are lovely sqad.\\\\

Yes i know...;-)

It has taken you nearly 3 weeks to reply.....LOL

[chi-chi66]

"Hey Guys" another american import "I guess"

[MarkRae]

It's not particularly unusual for languages to use ostensibly masculine constructs to refer to groups of people of either gender. E.g. French has two words for 'they' - ils and elles - but if the group consists of a million women and just one man, then it's ils. Gaelic has the word 'duine' which means 'man' or 'husband', but it's plural (daoine) means 'men' or 'people' generally, and the phrase for 'everybody' is 'h-uile duine', literally 'every man'.

[starone]

//It has taken you nearly three weeks to reply//
That is because I didn't see it until today when I looked at your profile in response to your post in 'how did you choose your user name?' I just couldn't believe you had ever been suspended, so had to take a look and so saw this thread. Better lat than never!

[starone]

"late" not lat. Fingers getting slow.