"You people"

[medic]

I have to ask this question because I'm not well-versed with American grammar and culture.
I hear the phrase 'you people' a lot from a person I know. I never mind anybody saying this (for a long time) until I realized I can't imagine myself saying this phrase. It would sound like I have no respect to the persons I'm speaking to.

Can anybody please educate me more about this phrase?

 

[SteveGlo]

Stella

I was interested to read what you wrote. It just goes to show that it is difficult to be 'right' all the time.

About 3 months ago I was sharing a taxi with 3 friends, 2 of them women in their early forties. I have known them all for about 18 years. In passing I said something like 'OK ladies, what are we ....." and Pauline complained that she didn't like being referred to as a lady!

Mind you I suspect this may have been part of the usual banter that you get with people who have been friends for a long time.

I also wonder if the sort of issue that we have been discussing above has an equivalent impact in other languages - unfortunately I don't have a sufficiently colloquial knowledge of other languages to offer an informed opinion.

Regards

Steve

 

[Stella740pl]

Steve,

I also wonder if the sort of issue that we have been discussing above has an equivalent impact in other languages

Interesting question.
I can say a few words about my first language, Russian. (I used to know Ukrainian almost as well, too, but it got very rusty from the lack of use very quickly.)

In Russian, there are many ways to address people. Most of them have little to do with political correctness in it's western understanding. Say, there are no strong feministic issues. No 'he/she' issues. Some of the addresses, though, have age connotation, and that could be the reason of objection, too. Say, a virtually genderless equivalent of 'guys' also exist, but suitable usually only among young people, incl. children, and among long time friends. Probably, there is no exact equivalents of "you people" or "you folk", though, so it's hard to compare. Some of the used addresses could be “citizen”, in it’s male or female form, some times with additional words. “Friends”, “comrades”, “citizens”, as official addressing of a big audience still exist.

As for popular street address (also suitable in some slightly more official places, where you don't know how to address people), it's now (literally translated) "girl", "young man", "man", "woman", even "grandma"/"grandpa", to really old and respected people. But their more realistic translation would be "Miss", "Mr.", "Ma'm". Say, you can always address a receptionist/secretary as "girl" (perceived like 'Miss'). But don't you think of calling her boss "Man" or "Woman". It would not ever be taken as "Mr." or "Ma'm", but as a rude talk. Use a construction that includes position name, or formal full first name (which includes a special form of father’s first name, too), or some other way. You can be addressed by staff in a doctor’s office (or some other office) like that, to. “Next, please. Yes, you, woman (meaning “ma’m”)”. “Girl (of course, meaning “miss”), how long do I have to wait?” “[Young] man (“Mr.”), would you happen to know what time is it?”. But it is in no way a formal address, unlike "Miss", "Ms.", "Mr.", or "Ma'm".

As for the age connotation I mentioned, here are a few stories.

My friend’s friend, being in her early 20s, in a crowded store, was asked of something by an older woman, probably in her 40s. It went something like “Woman (you remember, it’s like “ma’m”), would you please move a little?”. She got gravely insulted by the address. She responded with “Sure, grandma”.

My mom, being then in her 50s, was addressed “girl” (“Miss”) by a woman in her 70s. My mom, smiling softly, asked: “You calling me a girl?”. The woman responded: “For me, you could be a girl.”

My friend and me, being college freshmen teen girls, went to a youth camp and decided there, just the two of us, to undertake a little trip to the nearest town on foot for the reasons I can’t recall (possibly, movies, or shopping, or just general interest). We got lost and had to ask for directions. We spotted two men in their middle 20s, and after short teasing and giggling as to what to call them, decided to address them as “boys”, as we would our classmates of our own age. To be fair, we should have properly called them “young men”, or just say “Excuse us, ...”, without any address, but we probably got a little adventurous. To our “Boys, would you help us please? Can you tell us ....” we got sooooo long look, telling us it was sooooo inappropriate and familiar, we never ever dared to repeat the experiment again. (But we did get directions, nevertheless.)

 

[yanqui]

I grew up in the north, and I've live in teh south all my adult life. I can't ever remember using the phrase "you people," but I remember using "you guys." When girls talk about boys, they usually say "guys," and when they talk among themselves, they say "you guys," becuase even though they're girls they don't want to call themselves "you girls," it sounds too childish. Most of us here do use "y'all," NEVER "you-all," and occasionally "ALL y'all." HOWEVER--and this is where northerners just miss it altogether--y'all is ALWAYS plural. I would never ask a singular person, "How y'all doing?" unless I was asking about that person's whole family or household. So the ignorance is not on the part of the southerner, it's on the part of the northerner who isn't listening clearly. "Y'all" is just such an exclusively southern thing (thang) that northerners have parodied it into inaccuracy by using it interchangeably with all forms of "you," which we don't do.

 

[BobRodes]

HOWEVER--and this is where northerners just miss it altogether--y'all is ALWAYS plural. I would never ask a singular person, "How y'all doing?"

I beg to differ! Having as I do a clear grasp of the concept of number in pronouns, I wouldn't either, despite growing up in that cradle of midwestern culture, northern Indiana.

Of course, my granddaddy was from Tuscaloosa, as was his granddaddy before him....

Bob

 

[yanqui]

I take it that you're differing on the part about northerners missing it?

It's just funny to hear someone from the north (without any southern roots, that is) misusing the "y'all." And the north seems to think that the south is backward--geez--don't even know how to use "y'all!

 

[BobRodes]

Well, yes, I'm differing. I'm a Northerner and I don't miss it. However, I do agree that some Northerners miss it.

Bob

 

[Thadeus]

You people get agitated very easily don't you. Y'all better just simmer down.

 

[BobRodes]

You talking to me????? LOL