The Common Guy

[proofrawk]

Oprah says it. My yoga instructor says it. College students around the country say it. The cast of Friends says it, as do my own friends, over and over again. At least 10 to 20 times a day, I hear someone say “you guys” to refer to groups or pairs that include and in some cases consist entirely of women. I get e-mail all the time asking after

Comments

[chibi_lurrel]

I get a lot of shit for using 'y'all' when I'm out of the South proper, but I like it because I appreciate its gender neutrality. I really like this article.

[turnofftherain]

At my last job I said "y'all" (which I got shit for, being in the Philly suburbs, but I was able to play the "born in Texas" card with great effect) or "folks".

I've also heard "yous" a lot, because Philly area.

[ennifer_jay]

Yeah I've seen "yous" a lot in the Philly area too. I've also seen "yous guys" or "you guys" a lot in the Philly area because of "yous".

[politicette]

Same same same! I'm not even really Southern, I just really appreciate its use as a casual, gender-inclusive term.

[vacancy]

I totally use y'all and I've always lived in Maryland (and I would argue that MD is NOT the south!).

[reticent_lass]

I love "y'all". Oddly enpugh, I've never gotten any flack for it, even being born, raised, and residing in California all my life.

I have yet to kick my use of 'dude' as a term of address or a mild expletive. It's not inherently gendered for me--I'll dude anyone I know fairly well, including my mother--but I know that, stripped of context, dude is a male word.

[chibi_lurrel]

I definitely use 'dude' too much.

[mywholecry]

I've definitely started using "y'all" more since I've been working and also trying to cut down on my use of "you guys", but I live in Tennessee, so it would probably be more unsettling to people if I didn't.

[serafina20]

I'm an elementary school teacher in California, and I always get some kind of reaction the first time I use "y'all" to the class. As the year progresses, they get used to it.

[addienfaemne]

TOTALLY OT: what is the job market like for teachers in california? is it a nightmare? i'm looking at post-bac certification programs but wondering if it would be insane to move to california. thoughts?

[serafina20]

The job market's really tough out here. I was lucky to wind up in my district; we had a grant that reduced class size. Most districts are laying off tons of teachers and raising class sizes, etc. I don't know that I'd move out here right now, truthfully.

This is the main job-posting site for California, and I've heard there are jobs posted if you want to take a look for a better idea. However, a lot of districts will post positions that aren't really open for some reason. It's very frustrating.

Best of luck.

[deja_vu822]

lol yeah, in Pittsburgh we say "yinz"/"yunz" which might sound stupid, but at least it's gender neutral.