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What is a gender neutral replacement for man, guys, buddy, etc? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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So I've realized that in conversations I'll use traditional terms for men as general terms for all genders, both singularly and for groups. I always mean it well, but I've been thinking that it's not as inclusive to women/trans people.

For example I would say:

"What's up guys?" "How's it going man?" "Good job, my dude!” etc.

Replacing these terms with person, people, etc sounds awkward. Y'all works but sounds very southern US (nowhere near where I am located) so it sounds out of place.

So what are some better options?

Edit: thanks for all the answers peoples, I appreciate the honest ones and some of the funny ones.

The simplest approach is to just drop the usage of guys, man, etc. Folks for groups and mate for singular appeal to me when I do want to add one in between friends.

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[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 171 points 8 months ago

y'all

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 70 points 8 months ago

Y'all doesn't get enough love. It is gender neutral and extremely versatile.

[-] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 29 points 8 months ago

Vosotros agrees.

[-] richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 18 points 8 months ago

Ustedes if you're less formal or you live outside Spain 😁

[-] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago

if you're less formal

What a fun way to phrase that. You're not wrong but it's making me giggle.

[-] azimir@lemmy.ml 6 points 8 months ago

Or in German: euch

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 23 points 8 months ago

I'm under the impression that you pronounce it the same way this cat looks.

[-] azimir@lemmy.ml 5 points 8 months ago

You know... that's about right.

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 3 points 8 months ago

😂😂😂😂😂

[-] Resol@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I still wonder why English (a Germanic language) doesn't have its own pronoun for the plural 2nd person like German (euch) or Dutch (jullie), I think it kinda helps with distinction between talking to one person and talking to multiple people.

The problem is... what pronoun should we choose? I think "yinz" would sound kinda cool, but nobody outside of a very specific spot in the US actually uses it (other than myself I guess).

[-] sxan@midwest.social 19 points 8 months ago

I agree. It's the plural of "you" that should be the official standard, since it disambiguates "you." It can even be broadened to include larger groups via "all y'all," as in, not just y'all in talking to, but all y'all in the house.

It can replace "guys", but not "man," though.

[-] jungle@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago

The plural of you is yous or ye. In Ireland at least.

[-] MadBob@feddit.nl 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

It sounds cringeworthy if you're not American though. The standard way of saying it is "you lot" and other dialects, like mine, have "yous".

[-] flicker@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Here where I'm from in the US, you occasionally hear a "y'alls" and now I'm going to start using it as a cultural gap between your dialect and mine.

[-] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Where I’m from people just assume you’re a hick is you say y’all. It’s not very common in the northern, out Midwest of the US, but everywhere in the south.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 months ago

It's become the go-to in my company

[-] clif@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Do you work with me? I'm in the US south and my EU colleagues love "y'all" and have started using it (ironically or not :) pretty often.

Warms my heart.

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

I have no hint of a Southern accent, but when I moved here "y'all" became almost an instant part of my vocabulary.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

A LOT of my company is remote, but we are headquartered in Providence Rhode Island.

[-] Purplexingg@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I can't do it, I don't want to sound like I'm from the South.

[-] Zitronensaft@feddit.de 4 points 8 months ago

If everyone starts using it, it won’t sound southern any more. C’mon, you know you want to.

[-] hglman@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

Take it from them!

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago

And, for larger groups, all y'all.

[-] Pulptastic@midwest.social 9 points 8 months ago

you'uns

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

Youse if you’re a Geordie.

[-] BlueEther@no.lastname.nz 2 points 8 months ago

further down under you may hear "hey, yous lot..."

[-] survivalmachine@beehaw.org 2 points 8 months ago

Or if you're near Pittsburgh, "yinz" is the proper spelling/pronunciation.

[-] ieightpi@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

I use y'all a lot and im near Chicago

[-] Cagi@lemmy.ca 16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I've started using it and I'm Canadian.

[-] greenhorn@lemm.ee 9 points 8 months ago

I've started using it and I'm north of Canada ... In Detroit

[-] azimir@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago

Did you know that you can be north of Canada ... in California?

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-75f887668c7f322a0dd1a226e128cea3

[-] greenhorn@lemm.ee 6 points 8 months ago

At a more northern latitude than part of Canada. Detroit is directly north of part of Canada

[-] MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca 2 points 8 months ago

What in the world. They need to fix that on the next patch.

[-] Nemo@midwest.social 1 points 8 months ago

Me too, but I'm from 'round Minnesota so it's more like ja'll.

[-] Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 8 months ago

For those not in the US south and afraid of being judged, "all" on its own is an option.

"Hi all" is unlikely to raise any eyebrows

[-] MBM@lemmings.world 1 points 8 months ago

"Hi everybody!"

[-] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Bingo. I use y'all for everything. Even the singular. It's casual, neutral and relaxed.

[-] Carighan@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

Scott the Woz on Lemmy? :o

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 1 points 8 months ago

"Hey y'all, Scott here."

this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2024
193 points (78.0% liked)

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