calling women "ladies"

[Anonymous]

Freeman wrote:As long as it is used in the same settings that "gentlemen" would be appropriate for a group of men(Such as "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise..."), I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable alternative to use in the same situation. How else would you address a group of women in a professional or formal situation?

Yes, I agree, and I don't think it has to be paired with Gentlemen to be OK. If I walk into a room with three men in it, I woudl say, "good morning, gentlemen." Why would a man saying "good morning, ladies" be any different? And, like the PP, I have no idea what the alternative would be. If he said "hi, girls," or Good morning, women" he'd certainly get the stink-eye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ladies do not go and make coffee for their bosses. That is what the kitchen staff is for

No, that is what the kurig is for!

She said coffee, not brown-colored piss water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Freeman wrote:As long as it is used in the same settings that "gentlemen" would be appropriate for a group of men(Such as "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise..."), I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable alternative to use in the same situation. How else would you address a group of women in a professional or formal situation?

Yes, I agree, and I don't think it has to be paired with Gentlemen to be OK. If I walk into a room with three men in it, I woudl say, "good morning, gentlemen." Why would a man saying "good morning, ladies" be any different? And, like the PP, I have no idea what the alternative would be. If he said "hi, girls," or Good morning, women" he'd certainly get the stink-eye.

You know what really annoys me? Sports teams where the men's team is X and the women's team is Lady X - which implies that the men's team is the real team and the women's team is some kind of add-on. I wouldn't mind Lady Hoyas or Lady Volunteers if we had the Gentleman Hoyas and the Gentleman Volunteers. And don't even get me started on the Lady Rams!

[Anonymous]

Are the Univ. of Georgia women called the "Lady Bulldogs?" Are the Univ. of Washington women called the "Lady Huskies?" Because female dogs . . .

[Anonymous]

you ladies are really really uptight. I use "ladies" the same way I use "gentlemen", which is, in a sort of informal type context when addressing a group of professionals/friends/colleagues who all happen to be of the same gender. "Gentlemen, we are going to have busy day!". "Good morning ladies, we have a long day ahead of us!"

[Anonymous]

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

[ThatSmileyFaceGuy]

So if I'm walking along and some women are blocking my path it's now wrong to say "Ladies, if you would excuse me."?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the word in itself is demeaning at all. Any word can be used in a demeaning way. I have no problem being addressed as ladies - if the context is appropriate.

There is a big difference between:
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome...

and Lady, bring me my coffee!

It has nothing to do with the word, just how it is being used.

of course
You need to say 'may I please have some coffee, a cup would be lovely'
And never forget to say thank you

And yes, a woman that is treated nice is a lady.
tell those bitches at the office that ladies never fight