MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Informal English usage and possible translation issues

haertig · 01-21-2024, 03:06 AM

Everywhere I have lived, a group has been called "guys". By both men and women, or by boys and girls, or by ladies and gentlemen, or by males and females. I evidently have to say all these because someone will be offended being called a woman, and another will be offended being call a gentleman, so you really can't win no matter what words you choose to use. Now we have even more words vying for a seat at the table with the different genders being presented.

So I just do what everybody I know (both XX's and XY's) does - we just use the word "guys" because it offends the least amount of people. Occasionally "y'all". I have never seen anybody offended by either of these, until now. Quite honestly, I would not really know what to do with someone who claimed offense at "guys", because that's what everyone says here.

If I do meet someone like this, I will probably just ask them their name if I don't already know it. For example, let's use "Mary". Then I'd say things like "Come on guys and Mary, let's get moving." There's really not much else you can do. Any group term that Mary might suggest would probably be at least uncomfortable and awkward to others, if not downright offensive. So there is no good way to handle a group that includes that one person who doesn't use normal, common and accepted language. No way you can win with a person that has that chip on their shoulder. So I just use words that the vast majority uses, and that one person just has to be a little offended I guess. I'm not going to offend 99% of the people I know by using "they/them" or "people" or anything else that sounds weird or condescending, just so I can please that one person who prefers the unusual term.

If I happen to be in a group of mixed XX's and XY's and somebody says, "OK girls, let's go" - I'm just gonna go with them to where ever we're going. No offense taken. No offense intended. It's just a word. Trying to come up with that perfect all-inclusive word for the group just makes everything sound awkward and stupid, and feels so contrived and virtue-signaling.

For me, it's majority rule. So "guys" wins. If that offends, well, ... "sorry guys!"

01-21-2024, 03:06 AM	#18
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,926 Karma: 33156336 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Galaxy Tab A9+, Moto G7	Everywhere I have lived, a group has been called "guys". By both men and women, or by boys and girls, or by ladies and gentlemen, or by males and females. I evidently have to say all these because someone will be offended being called a woman, and another will be offended being call a gentleman, so you really can't win no matter what words you choose to use. Now we have even more words vying for a seat at the table with the different genders being presented. So I just do what everybody I know (both XX's and XY's) does - we just use the word "guys" because it offends the least amount of people. Occasionally "y'all". I have never seen anybody offended by either of these, until now. Quite honestly, I would not really know what to do with someone who claimed offense at "guys", because that's what everyone says here. If I do meet someone like this, I will probably just ask them their name if I don't already know it. For example, let's use "Mary". Then I'd say things like "Come on guys and Mary, let's get moving." There's really not much else you can do. Any group term that Mary might suggest would probably be at least uncomfortable and awkward to others, if not downright offensive. So there is no good way to handle a group that includes that one person who doesn't use normal, common and accepted language. No way you can win with a person that has that chip on their shoulder. So I just use words that the vast majority uses, and that one person just has to be a little offended I guess. I'm not going to offend 99% of the people I know by using "they/them" or "people" or anything else that sounds weird or condescending, just so I can please that one person who prefers the unusual term. If I happen to be in a group of mixed XX's and XY's and somebody says, "OK girls, let's go" - I'm just gonna go with them to where ever we're going. No offense taken. No offense intended. It's just a word. Trying to come up with that perfect all-inclusive word for the group just makes everything sound awkward and stupid, and feels so contrived and virtue-signaling. For me, it's majority rule. So "guys" wins. If that offends, well, ... "sorry guys!"