Re:In Defense of Y'All
by gregorymichael on Tuesday December 17, 2024 @04:00PM
(#42445273)
Yes agreed. In most regions/groups in America, "you guys" does not carry the same meaning as "a group of guys"
Also for reference, these are "compound nouns" - a single noun composed of multiple words. No one has these issues with "ice cream", for example, but "you guys" really is just another one of these.
Re:In Defense of Y'All
by NobodyNada on Thursday December 19, 2024 @01:51PM
(#42464553)
I think it makes sense to say "you guys" is a compound noun, but the word "guys" can be used in this gender-neutral addressing-a-group sense outside of the phrase "you guys". For example: "Hey guys!", or "Guys, what should I eat for lunch?"
So "the guys" or "how many guys" always refers to men, but "you guys" carries no implication of gender at all. I often hear people address groups consisting entirely of women as "guys", and nobody bats an eye.