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So..... long story short, keep your mouth shut, just go along with the PC flow and you might get out alive.
Not to dogpile on you, Chow, but at the heart of "PC flow" is thinking before you speak so as not to offend someone. And it really shouldn't be such an eye-rolly thing to assume that grown people can be thoughtful about what they say to people. Maybe the woman in your example overreacted, but at the same time, a man calling a strange woman a "girl" really is loaded, and it's best to avoid that kind language when the other person doesn't know your intent.
Like everyone has said, context is everything--if a friend opens a group text that starts with "Hey girls..." that's one thing. If someone at work says "Let's ask the girls in the other department..." that's quite another.
Just curious--would you ever call a black man a "boy"?
I use the term boys all the time, I'll say get the boys together for this or that, people I know, If I knew the black guy and the tone was what I exhaustively clarified earlier than I wouldn't have a problem with it.
You're trying to make an issue here when I clearly laid out the parameter in my other post.
I wouldn't call a strange black man "boy" just like I'd refrain from calling anyone I didn't really know boy or girl, again if the context comes into play here.
Not to dogpile on you, Chow, but at the heart of "PC flow" is thinking before you speak so as not to offend someone. Maybe the woman in your example overreacted, but at the same time, a man calling a strange woman a "girl" really is loaded, and it's best to avoid that kind language when the other person doesn't know your intent.
Like everyone has said, context is everything--if a friend opens a group text that starts with "Hey girls..." that's one thing. If someone at work says "Let's ask the girls in the other department..." that's quite another.
Of course, I understand completely, I really did cover these types of situations in my post. At least I thought I did. I'm going to have to go into over-clarify mode when it comes to these sensitive situations.
Context and tone, just to beat a dead horse. I personally, after that other thread I did would NEVER stray away from the formal usage in any situation that wasn't completely known to me, family and friends only. Work or anything else, like I said I was half joking about the PC flow, but that's where were at, need to always err on the side of not offending people.
It's sorta sad because I have a jokey casual way about me and basically got to stuff that side away when dealing with people, it is what it is.
Just read this page but I think zentropa and mishigas have it right. Some people use girls along with men with no malice intended, but it reflects their attitude, if only subconsciously. When a 35 year old man says he just met a new girl, I'm thinking either he might want to look at the laws in the state where he lives, or think about the word he's using to describe a 35 year old female person he has a whole bunch in common with. He may be a good guy, but he's feeding an unhelpful general attitude even if he's not aware.
Well, I'd say "I met a new guy" not "man," so I don't see a problem with using "girl" here.
Love how people get to choose what should and should not be "trivial" for other people whose moccasins they have not walked.
I don't know if this is aimed at me or not, I wasn't saying anything about how things should be dictated or what is considered trivial, I simply was just acknowledging here that a large-ish amount of women object to the girl/women thing even in the context of a good natured well intentioned setting. Of course people can act how ever they want, it's still a free country.
i use them interchangeably. I don't mean any disrespect but that's what i do.
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