Being from the UK (living in the US now), I've never used the term 'hey guys', with my English accent it would sound like I'm being a fake or trying to hard to be hip.
Likewise, there's not a chance in hell I can pull off "hey y'all", well maybe if I was wearing a cowboy hat... :)
In any case, I use "Hey peeps..." (peeps -> people), which doesn't offend people (afaik).
Really? I'm from the UK and I find "hey guys" and "you guys" to be quite common there. Maybe it's a generational thing - I'm sure it's something we picked up from the U.S..
The idea that it's sexist or problematic to address a mixed group as "guys" doesn't quite seem to have crossed the Atlantic yet, but I'm sure it's coming. The U.K. is never too far behind American cultural trends, especially the insane ones.
That's the beauty of language. We can choose our phrases and words, influenced by the people of our geography. You are free to choose peeps, and I am free to choose guys, until there are laws against it (coming soon, I'm sure).
Someone can also choose to be offended or not. Apparently this has been forgotten in modern times.
Well, we’re not allowed to use “hey guys” anymore or anything which refers to the gender of someone in whole or individually. So..to keep my job: “Good Evening, Colleagues!”
ya'll, folks, people, team, everyone, friends, pals, peeps, chums, gang, squad, crew, mates, peers - i mean c'mon, there are just so many non-gendered ones out there to pick from (and inb4 "but guys is not gendered!!" - how do you explain the phrase "guys and gals" then?)
"guys and gals" explain in way same as "cow" refer in technical for woman bovine but in usual term to any bovine. Either woman or man bovine is "cow" in group. Unless archaic "kine" I have not ever heard used in speech. Also "duck" is refer for man and both woman water fowl. Drake correct word for man in the species.
USA in itself has many microcosms of culture, it's not one homogeneous clump. The fact that your company is USA based offers no indication of the cultural backgrounds of people working there.
You can try to homogenize language and culture to suit your own sensibilities. Since I view "guy" as a gendered term, then that's clearly the only acceptable definition and interpretation of the term. Other people's usage is obviously problematic and I want to compel them to change their language to meet my requirements and sense of acceptable terminology.
Alternatively you can embrace the fact that people's language is their own and acknowledge that the person's intent here does indeed matter. You don't need to adapt the same language that they use, but you could be mindful that people speak differently than you and that your discomfort with terminology is sometimes maligned.
Yeah it’s region dependent. In the Midwest it’s super gender neutral to the point where people will “hey guys” or “hey man” to refer to women. Really really jarring.
