Well for what it's worth, I still use "guys" and "gals" ... though it doesn't jar me too much to say "guys" and "girls" ... even "boys" and "girls." Yes, I do believe men are sometimes referred to (and even refer to themselves) as "boys" (while admitting some men take the moniker "boy" as an insult).
They say pick an age you like and stick to it.
Re: boy = slave? Certainly used to ... Well, BDSM slaves get their night out once in awhile, don't they?
Guys' night out? Boys' night out? I think you could say either and get away with it ...
I admit "gals' night out" sounds awkward. No idea why.
Anyway, who can measure exactly how popular/unpopular guy, gal, girl, and boy is? I admit it seems like "gal" has slid down somewhat in popularity, but that's virtually just intuition on my part. I actually don't think it's slid down all *that* much. I always think of "gal" when I think of "guy."
Although, it's also true that "guys" is often used nowadays to denote a group of people of either or both genders. I do it. [shrug] The odd unpredictable evolution of language marches on. Note that this evolution doesn't always follow a logical path. People change; nations change; the world changes. With changes come "that awkward stage of" growing pains.
Re (from YouAreHere):
Who indeed!
Everyone must use whatever terms/language feels most comfortable to theirselves at their particular times and contexts. How we speak is part of our style; ergo, a swatch of our personality.
Re (from Garriguette):
Aha! Bad Wikisaurus, very very bad.
Outside that boo-boo, I think Wikisaurus mostly meant to show what synonyms *can* be used; not necessarily which synonyms *should* be used.
Re: gender-neutral pronouns ... always a safe bet for any occasion. But since I'm too sexy for my shirt, I'd proably walk into a bar and say, "Ladies." "Hey hey don't fight, there's enough of me to go around."
Re: dudette ... Oxford Dictionary word? Probably not. Wiktionary word? Yep (though it's uncertain if dudette would work as an interjection). Hey at least I didn't have to get street dirty and ping Urban Dictionary for the info.
Re: wicked ... gnarly's good too!
Re (from YouAreHere):
IMO, the English language is practically defined as a mass of bits and pieces we've grabbed that work in different situations.
No doubt English's millions (billions?) of dialects and dialectal variations vary from State to State, town to town, and person to person.
Interesting future prospect: Our great-great-great-great grandkids may end up speaking a mishmash of languages all rolled into one. Say 40% English, 30% Spanish, 20% Chinese, and 10% Jive.
Re: doll ... Wikisaurus missed that one! Oh the shame of it.
I admit I kind of think of "gal" as a word a Westerner (especially a cowboy) would use. (But I'm still comfortable using it, maybe because my folks and uncles and stuff were.)
Hey ... let's not forget "my brothers and my sisters." It's not just for church anymore!
Re (from Magdlyn):
Ah, again ... a datapoint that how I'm treated (and how safe I feel) influences how I'll feel about what I'm called. Hell me and the guys call each other "pigs" all the time and we think it's hilarious.
Re:
Heheh.
I don't think galroom would work though. (Gal bedroom? Hmmmm -- )
They say pick an age you like and stick to it.
Re: boy = slave? Certainly used to ... Well, BDSM slaves get their night out once in awhile, don't they?
Guys' night out? Boys' night out? I think you could say either and get away with it ...
I admit "gals' night out" sounds awkward. No idea why.
Anyway, who can measure exactly how popular/unpopular guy, gal, girl, and boy is? I admit it seems like "gal" has slid down somewhat in popularity, but that's virtually just intuition on my part. I actually don't think it's slid down all *that* much. I always think of "gal" when I think of "guy."
Although, it's also true that "guys" is often used nowadays to denote a group of people of either or both genders. I do it. [shrug] The odd unpredictable evolution of language marches on. Note that this evolution doesn't always follow a logical path. People change; nations change; the world changes. With changes come "that awkward stage of" growing pains.
Re (from YouAreHere):
"Maybe language will turn around again and it'll be in favor once more. Who knows?"
Who indeed!
Everyone must use whatever terms/language feels most comfortable to theirselves at their particular times and contexts. How we speak is part of our style; ergo, a swatch of our personality.
Re (from Garriguette):
"Hm. I would be troubled to be addressed by a number of words on that list that aren't flagged as offensive. Is 'Bint' is ever not used as a slur?"
Aha! Bad Wikisaurus, very very bad.
Outside that boo-boo, I think Wikisaurus mostly meant to show what synonyms *can* be used; not necessarily which synonyms *should* be used.
Re: gender-neutral pronouns ... always a safe bet for any occasion. But since I'm too sexy for my shirt, I'd proably walk into a bar and say, "Ladies." "Hey hey don't fight, there's enough of me to go around."
Re: dudette ... Oxford Dictionary word? Probably not. Wiktionary word? Yep (though it's uncertain if dudette would work as an interjection). Hey at least I didn't have to get street dirty and ping Urban Dictionary for the info.
Re: wicked ... gnarly's good too!
Re (from YouAreHere):
"It tends to make sense that I'd grab bits and pieces that work in different situations. "
IMO, the English language is practically defined as a mass of bits and pieces we've grabbed that work in different situations.
No doubt English's millions (billions?) of dialects and dialectal variations vary from State to State, town to town, and person to person.
Interesting future prospect: Our great-great-great-great grandkids may end up speaking a mishmash of languages all rolled into one. Say 40% English, 30% Spanish, 20% Chinese, and 10% Jive.
Re: doll ... Wikisaurus missed that one! Oh the shame of it.
I admit I kind of think of "gal" as a word a Westerner (especially a cowboy) would use. (But I'm still comfortable using it, maybe because my folks and uncles and stuff were.)
Hey ... let's not forget "my brothers and my sisters." It's not just for church anymore!
Re (from Magdlyn):
"It is one thing to be belittled and patronized by being called a girl by men, it is another thing to feel enjoyably youthful when women bond with their female friends and call them girls."
Ah, again ... a datapoint that how I'm treated (and how safe I feel) influences how I'll feel about what I'm called. Hell me and the guys call each other "pigs" all the time and we think it's hilarious.
Re:
"Try this on: my girlfriend and I sleep and have sex together in the "master" bedroom. Should we call it the "mistress" bedroom?"
Heheh.
I don't think galroom would work though. (Gal bedroom? Hmmmm -- )
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