[Publib] "You Guys"

[Sharon Foster]

Yes, but....

When I'm out at a nice (i.e., not a chain) restaurant with my
boyfriend, and we're having dinner, I don't think we should be
addressed as "guys," as in, "How are you guys doing? Are you still
working on that?" No, I'm not working, I'm enjoying my dinner, and I
am not a guy, not in this context.


On 7/12/07, Lynne Ingersoll <lingersoll at blueislandlibrary.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> I'm with you, Linda.  I am a feminist and a liberal and proud of both.  I'd
> rather be included in a bunch of (gender-neutral) guys than identified with
> "the ladies".  My mom, part of the greatest generation, was a lady, my aunt
> was a broad (in the best sense of the word) I'm not sure about my sister,
> and I missed being a boomer by about a year.  On the other hand, why can't
> we just be women and men and forget about all the slang identifiers?
>
>
>
>
> Lynne S. Ingersoll
>
> Lynne S. Ingersoll
>
> Reference Services Manager
>
> Technical Services Manager
>
> Blue Island Public Library
>
> 2433 York Street
>
> Blue Island, IL 60406
>
> (708) 388-1078 x20
>
> (708) 388-9301 Fax
>
>
>
>  ________________________________
>
>
> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
> On Behalf Of Linda Landi
>  Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 4:42 PM
>  To: publib at webjunction.org
>  Subject: RE: [Publib] "You Guys"
>
>
>
>
> Meh. I consider myself to be a feminist too, but I have no problem with
> referring to a group as "guys." I *was* raised in California, though, where
> such usage is the norm. Just can't do "y'all" with a straight face - all due
> respect to my Southern colleagues. To me the term guys is
> non-gender-specific in this context. I've even heard tweens [another mash-up
> of a word!] address friends as "dude" regardless of the gender of the one
> being addressed. Language morphs all the time, as long as it's still in use.
> In Latin, it would most likely be quite incorrect to disregard the
> gender-specificity of any noun, but then Latin is a dead language.
>
>
>
> My .02 only,
>
>
>
>
> Linda D. Landi
>
> Head of Youth Services
>
> New Lenox Public Library
>
> 120 Veterans Parkway
>
> New Lenox, Illinois 60451
>
> 815.485.2605
>
> http://www.newlenoxlibrary.org/
>
>
>
>
>  ________________________________
>
>
> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
> On Behalf Of Jessica Simpson
>  Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 4:15 PM
>  To: publib at webjunction.org
>  Subject: Re: [Publib] "You Guys"
>
>
>
>  As a feminist, I embrace "y'all" or "you all" wholeheartedly.  I am from
> Ohio and realize that "y'all" sounds a little funny coming from a Yankee,
> but why on earth would I say "you guys" unless I am actually talking to a
> group of, well, GUYS?! :)
> _______________________________________________
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>
>


-- 
Sharon M. Foster
[affiliations omitted]
Any opinions expressed here are entirely my own.