calling women "ladies"

[Anonymous]

This really rubs me the wrong way, especially in a professional situation and especially in emails. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on exactely why, but I think it's because it's usually used by men or women whom I perceive to be stuck in 1950. My husband doesn't get it and I'm having a hard time saying why. Maybe because people are referring to peoples' gender when it really shouldn't matter what gender they are - but in situations in which it really USED to matter?

Do you agree? Why?

[Anonymous]

I disagree -- what should people be using instead?

[Anonymous]

It rubs you the wrong way because you despise anything feminine. You want to be seen as masculine, but you call it "gender neutral".

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't really mind if a female said it (like maybe if she was writing an email and starting it with something like, "Hey, ladies! blah blah blah"), but yes, if a male said it, it would rub me the wrong way too. Like he was a paternalistic 60-something trying to tell the little girlies in the office something.

[Anonymous]

I use it, but only because it sometimes works better than "you all", "y'all", or "you guys" or even just "you" as a plural. It's about as lame as "folks", but it's really just a collective noun for women.

I agree that I would use it carefully, especially if I were the only man using it to address women, but I work on a team of 3 women and have no problem when any of us use it.

[Anonymous]

I don't get it either. You have a very strange hangup.

[Anonymous]

A couple of my lesbian friends use the word almost exclusively. Sounds more mature than "girl" and less formal and friendlier than "woman" is my guess.

[Anonymous]

Do you dislike it in general or in a very specific context? If the latter, can you give an example?

[Anonymous]

It runs me the wrong way. Can you give an example of its use in a professional email?

[Anonymous]

Maybe you should address them as "Womyn".

I'd much rather be addressed as "Ladies", than other similar terms...

[Anonymous]

Strange. I work in a male dominated field. Just today I was in a meeting of about 50 people and I looked around the room and including myself there were 3 women in the room.

I address a group of men often as "gentlemen". I take no offense to "ladies", but normally in a professionaly setting, for me, it's just "lady".

[Anonymous]

It doesn't bother me. I definitely think there are some men that, if they were to use it, I would notice, not in a good way.

[Anonymous]

Does "gentlemen" bother you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't really mind if a female said it (like maybe if she was writing an email and starting it with something like, "Hey, ladies! blah blah blah"), but yes, if a male said it, it would rub me the wrong way too. Like he was a paternalistic 60-something trying to tell the little girlies in the office something.

+1

[Anonymous]

This is weird. What's is the problem exactly?

I think it's respectful and I don't mind it.