Calling women girls in inherently belittling

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Purple

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Justine McCarthy has a piece in todays Irish Times where she says that calling women girls in inherently belittling.
I couldn't agree more. My mother, a woman who was active in politics and women's rights and has held positions on State Boards, will still refer to a woman in her 40's or 50's working in retail as "the girl in the shop". Imagine if a man of that age was referred to as a boy?
It's always bothered me when I hear people, women in particular, referring to women in a work setting as girls. It automatically puts them in a secondary and subservient role; there's no way a girl could be in charge of a man, whatever about a woman being in charge of a man.

So, if you wouldn't refer to the Hon. Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne as "the girl from the Supreme Court" then don't refer to the woman in the shop as "the girl in the shop" and women, please stop referring to each other as girls in a work setting and if you do then please don't ever complain about men being sexist.
 
Purple said:
Imagine if a man of that age was referred to as a boy?
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You really don't like Cork, right? There a 99 year old is still boy.

Lots of ladies talk of going on a girls night out, I presume it's not belittling when they're talking about themselves and their friends? At times I hear grown men talk about going for a few drinks with the boys. Language and the meaning and use of words evolves. The Oxford and other dictionaries now list the informal use of boy or girl to refer to an adult as common usage.

The term to take offence is quite appropriate I feel, very often people choose to take offence where none was intended. That is a reflection on themselves rather that the other party.
 
Leo said:
You really don't like Cork, right? There a 99 year old is still boy.

Lots of ladies talk of going on a girls night out, I presume it's not belittling when they're talking about themselves and their friends? At times I hear grown men talk about going for a few drinks with the boys. Language and the meaning and use of words evolves. The Oxford and other dictionaries now list the informal use of boy or girl to refer to an adult as common usage.

The term to take offence is quite appropriate I feel, very often people choose to take offence where none was intended. That is a reflection on themselves rather that the other party.
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I'm talking about using it in a work or professional setting.

And I love Cork. It's the people from Cork I can't stand ;)
 
Once upon a time girl and boy simply meant unmarried... you could be a bachelor boy in your 40s or 60s.

Likely your mother referred to the employee as a 'girl' because she was younger than her.

In common parlance, I think this happens a lot because there's words like yer man, fellah, lad, guy, bloke, gent, chap, geezer etc for males.
For females, what have you got... gal? lady? yer wan?
Gap in the market.
 
Purple said:
I'm talking about using it in a work or professional setting.
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Professional setting I agree with, as more formal language is more appropriate there. However, if conversing with friends informally (outside of or within a workplace), and the person working in the shop comes up, the use of boy or girl is accepted.
 
We’re arriving more and more fast at stupid political correctness. Mrs Lep (according to herself was always One-of-the-Girls) and woe be to he who would try to change that, even if he’s from Dublin.
 
Leper said:
We’re arriving more and more fast at stupid political correctness. Mrs Lep (according to herself was always One-of-the-Girls) and woe be to he who would try to change that, even if he’s from Dublin.
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When you were working and if you had a female boss would you refer to her as a girl in a work setting? Would you say "That girl is my boss" or "That woman is my boss"?

If women are referred to as girls in a work setting, a place where a man would never be referred to as a boy, it automatically puts then in a junior role and creates an environment where women should be in junior roles.

If you are in a shop and you were asked for assistance would you say "Ask that girl over there to help you" when referring to a woman in her 50's? If the 50 something employee was a man would you say "Ask that boy over there to help you"?


Where it's okay to refer to men as boys it's also okay to refer to women as girls. Where it's not okay to refer to men as boys then it's also not okay to refer to women as girls.
 
While watching a YouTube vid the other day I noticed in the comments section a quote form John Cleese about wokeism
"There are people just sitting there, who are deliberately waiting, for the thrill of been offended"
 
Cervelo said:
While watching a YouTube vid the other day I noticed in the comments section a quote form John Cleese about wokeism
"There are people just sitting there, who are deliberately waiting, for the thrill of been offended"
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I agree. Offence is taken, not given. Finding something anachronistic and deciding to be offended by it are two entirely different things.
 
Cervelo said:
While watching a YouTube vid the other day I noticed in the comments section a quote form John Cleese about wokeism
"There are people just sitting there, who are deliberately waiting, for the thrill of been offended"
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I’ve had several Line Managers who are female and each referred to herself as being “a girl.” And fair play to each of them. There are more grave issues for females than being
Referred to as girls.
 
I cannot imagine having such a rigid and fragile mindset that being asked to refer to adults as men/women instead of boys/girls would cause even a moment's hesitation.

People have little to be doing if this is what they spend time railing against.
 
Purple said:
When you were working and if you had a female boss would you refer to her as a girl in a work setting? Would you say "That girl is my boss" or "That woman is my boss"?

If women are referred to as girls in a work setting, a place where a man would never be referred to as a boy, it automatically puts then in a junior role and creates an environment where women should be in junior roles.

If you are in a shop and you were asked for assistance would you say "Ask that girl over there to help you" when referring to a woman in her 50's? If the 50 something employee was a man would you say "Ask that boy over there to help you"?


Where it's okay to refer to men as boys it's also okay to refer to women as girls. Where it's not okay to refer to men as boys then it's also not okay to refer to women as girls.
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Would people even say "that woman"?
I think they'd avoid all these minefields and say... my colleague over there.

Although we cannot rule out that you will be directed to "yer wan" or "head the ball".
 
Where I grew up, The Boys was taken as a term of respect.
Not sure about the etymology but woman suggests to me something like "wee man" or "from man" as in rib of Adam. Similarly "female" suggests that "male" is the original of the species. It is not black or white, but I suppose that expression opens a new can of PC worms.
 
Following on from above, in my world women (from boys adolescence) were referred to as birds...

Good looking bird
Wrote off bird
Lego bird (see above) in bits
Old birds
Fit birds

I'm 57 now and little has changed. My friends still refer to women as birds.
 
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In my work environment, women are usually referred to as collegue. It's collegiate and used regardless of job title. I have recently caught myself calling a younger colleague a girl (had to make a mental note to avoid doing it again as you could easily get pulled up by HR for it.
Informally at work amongst dept work friends, it could be anything from pain in the you know where to head case in how we'd refer to some of the female colleagues (similar more colourful terms are used for male colleagues who prove challenging to work with ;)
 
RichInSpirit said:
I'm sure a lot of ladies in their 40's 50's and 60's are chuffed to be still called girls Purple.
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And yet I don't know any men in their 40's 50's and 60's who would like to be referred to as a boy in a work setting. What does that tell us?
 
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