I really really really can't stress strongly enough
how much it shocks my heart to hear how often the expression "you guys" is used in everyday language, especially in social movement/radical community spaces.
I don't mean to be unsympathetic or humorless or heartless. Yes I understand how difficult it is to replace that phrase with something else. But I promise it can be done. And talking about love and revolution and radical politics and building a movement feels so much better once "you guys" is gone.
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Y'all, just use "y'all"
This situation is why I finally just decided to embrace the term "y'all." Seriously, it's damn near perfect. If you don't want to use the shortened version, you can just say "you all." People might ask you if you're from the South, but that's not a difficult question to answer. I've often explained that I use this term because it's inclusive and that it has nothing to do with where I was born. Bonus: it's kind of folksy and fun to say.
Totally
I'm a huge fan of "you all" (and y'all every once in a while when I'm feeling frisky).
Use it. Love it.
And you're right Debbie, it is jarring to hear "you guys" so often. (Although I'm guilty of letting it slip now and again, it's definitely a phrase that's entrenched deep in my brain somewhere.)
Doesn't bother me in the
Doesn't bother me in the slightest. Does that make me a Bad Feminist?
Aussies are bandits for 'youse'. Maybe that can make it's way around the world in place of 'you guys'.
http://oh-errol.blogspot.com
I've heard "youse" a lot
I've heard "youse" a lot around the St. Louis area, too, but often with "guys," as in "youse guys." I don't mind hearing "youse," but it seems awkward to me for some reason--maybe it just sounds strange to me since I'm not as used to it.
And yeah, this was dealt with recently...can't remember if it was the book or an issue, though.
Part of my issue with "you guys" (besides the obvious, of course) is that I just think it sounds sort of crass and unintelligent.
Me neither.
"You guys" doesn't bother me either. It actually seems a bit nit-picky to be bothered by it, in my opinion. It wouldn't hurt to start using other phrases instead, but unless there is some underlying anti-woman history behind it that I'm unaware of, I wouldn't waste any energy trying to put a stop to it's usage. I don't see how it's a threat to women at all.
The issue is that it implies
The issue is that it implies male as the default, like mankind, chairman, and all that. They all reinforce the idea that male is the standard and female is a deviation from or variation of that standard.
A good rule I like to go by is if you can't swap it for another gender, it's not neutral. People generally don't refer to a mixed-gender group as "you girls", because that's gendered. Therefore, so is "you guys". The reason "you guys" is so common is because male is seen as an "acceptable" default or standard.
I hardly think that any man
I hardly think that any man using/hearing the phrase is secretly thinking, "YES!! We WON! We're the supreme gender because everyone says "you guys"!" Just my opinion. & I respect yours. I just don't think anyone is going around being emotionally or mentally affected because the term "you guys" is used a lot or that it's making woman feel degraded.
Wasn't there a feature on this in the print magazine??
I am pretty certain this has been addressed before. I think the feature on "You Guys" might even be in the book (my books and mags aren't sitting next to the desktop at the moment). Perhaps it is time for this issue to be revisited and debated?? Personally, I prefer "you all," too. But there are those who believe that using "you guys" is empowering.
He
Well, it is crazy if you think about our whole language is based on the idea of a male's point of view. Even though I've heard that women were the first ones to invent languague. It doesn't make sense that women would not include themselves in the everyday languague, but I think that is because it has been changed by mostly men according to their benefits. Like the word "He" is used for men and women right? Then how does this sound; "He was going to give birth today," or "He had his period this morning." Weird.
There was a feature called "On Language: You Guys" in issue #18
I thought so. There was a feature by Audrey Bilger called "On Language: You Guys" in issue #18. You can't read it here, but it is also in the Bitchfest book (Don't have it? Powell's does. I love e-shopping there). As I said, perhaps it is time for the issue to be revisited/debated??
Yep. I read that one. If
Yep. I read that one. If anyone calls me a guy by grouping me into "you guys" I inform them of their mistake. I'm not a guy, don't call me a guy.
I'm also pro-y'all. My grandma is from VA and she indoctrinated me with "you'uns" (as in "you ones").
Any francophone knows that this is also a problem in French. A group of 400 women where one is holding a male child is referred to with the plural male "ils" because that child's gender takes supremacy. Should someone consult the French academy about this?
Sooo guilty
I'm so guilty of this one, though I'm going to put in my vote for "you all" and "y'all". Being from appalachia, it sounds about right to me.
yes
i agree, i hate hearing it -- and yet i say it myself all the time without noticing -- or i notice and am annoyed with myself. fucked up as it is, i think that's often the case with deeply ingrained habits and especially speech patterns. personally, it would help to be called out on it when someone hears me using it.
same here
I catch myself all the time on this one and get really annoyed. I seem to tackle getting one or two words/phrases out of my vocabulary at a time. I think I'll work on this one now.
working on posting the article
our beloved content wrangler is working on uploading this article. stay tuned...
Personally, when I hear (or
Personally, when I hear (or say) "you guys" I assume both sexes are included. It is like a less formal version of "you people". To me it doesn't indicate gender at all. I would call my girlfrieds "you guys".
"Y'all" is too American for me, being an Aussie, it really puts me off.
...
I used to say the same thing - but ask yourself this: does "girls" indicate gender? If so, then how come "guys" doesn't.
And, you know, read the article, because it will explain it better than I can! http://www.bitchmagazine.org/article/the-common-guy
It's up!
Here's the article.
i used to think it wasn't a big deal...
but it was audrey bilger's article that made clear to me how important it is and how accepting it or seeing it as nongendered really just reinforces the the notion that maleness is universal and femaleness is not. for me it has become one of those tiny things that is actually a big deal. (and it has been REALLY HARD to train myself not to use it. i say y'all with my tongue in my cheek, 'cause how else can a raised-in-new-york-city girl use it?)
that or gals?
To respectfully diagree totally: I've had my radar shoot off for "guys" since reading that article in Bitchfest-- it's probably one of the least-forgettable ones (I mean that in the best way possible) because it's just so part of everyday speech. That being said, while I notice when I say "you guys" to a group of women, or female peers, or 5 year-old campers, I still say it. Because what do other people say instead? "Hey laaayyydees!" "Girls!" etc. They are, in my opinion, none the better and far the worse. Great to keep in mind, harder to keep in speech.
why not just say nothing?
it took me a long time to weed out the phrase "you guys" from my vocabulary, but once i did, i also starting noticing that it's often used when really no word/phrase is necessary. if you're talking to a group of people, why not just "you"?
i cringe at being called "lady," too, but it doesn't cut quite so deep. not yet anyway...
it shocks me, too, how prevalent the word "girl" is in our culture to refer to female-identified folks well into adulthood.
simply "you"
exactly, add nothing to it...works for me and has not failed yet...made the change in my vocab many years ago and "you" works all by itself...perfectly
Dudes...
It certainly is a struggle to erase "you guys" from my vernacular, but I'm slowly getting better. I can absolutely appreciate the internalized sexism and erasure of female importance the use of this term embodies. Like others have said, I like replacing it with y'all, you kids, you folks, hey monsters...
I'm wondering what people think of using the word "dude" indiscriminately as well? I personally think that I'd have a more difficult time letting go of this one even though I use it less often, because it carries some ridiculous teen-age sentimentality for me and I kind of love dragging it out. I realize it's less prevalent, as it's use is somewhat culturally and generationally limited. But are people equally bothered by this term?
well, yeah, that would be
well, yeah, that would be wrong because according to Wikipedia, the female equivalent is "dudette." :)
now back to "you guys." here's one group's take on how to take action:
http://www.youall.freeservers.com/home.html
i too have an affection for "dudes"...
...but to me it has definitely not-gender-neutral connotations. i don't call female-identified folks dudes. and i don't like to be called a dude. i tend to use it as an expletive to express dismay/negative amazement in general. or to refer to a specific kind of guy. the kind who calls me dude, in fact.
dudette sounds almost freakish to me. makes me think of smurfette. is this internalized sexism?
Like "Bro" and the fem
Like "Bro" and the fem equivalent of "Brosephine". :)
all y'all
goshbless, i totally totally get more than irked at the sound of "you guys" which even happens when i'm in feminist collective organizing situations, which happens more often than i'd like to recount.
as a southern ladeee (riiiight) i use y'all regularly one because i grew up with it, and dos, because it's gender neutral and SO useful. and then you can use the plural of y'all which is all y'all. and it rhymes and who doesn't love that.
and for serious about the use of the word "girl" to describe women who are even well beyond their teenyears. for some this might be nitpicky and oversensitive, but really, i just think it's another example of how normative the patriarchy is in our society.
i'm not a guy, don't call me one. language gets so infused with meaning and we don't even realize it.
if you ask me "you guys" is so dude-acle.
this isn't going to be a
this isn't going to be a popular opinion and maybe i am just being contrary to the cause, but 'you guys' and 'dude' and 'lady' doesn't bother me. i kind of find it cool when we fuck them up and turn them upside down a bit. my son calls my best male friend 'lady' for instance. i call my dear women friend from college 'dude'. i would rather be called a 'dude' than a 'folk'. i like the word 'dyke' but not 'lesbian'. and i don't want to be called a 'folk'. what are we all to do with this language debate?
i am with you on the gender-bending of calling men "lady"
but that's b/c it's a reversal of the usual, which actually does have the potential to be subversive. but when women have been expected to be part of the "inclusive" male in a man=all humanity but women=females-only way, calling women guys and dudes doesn't work for me.
I, too, used to sometimes
I, too, used to sometimes refer to people who were obviously male as "lady", just to shake it up. But then I realized that would be really offensive if the person I was addressing was trans. It seems that gender-neutral terms are the only really safe bet when one considers the multiplicity of gender expressions.
I tend to agree
Because of the widespread use of the terms 'you guys' or 'dudes,' it seems more like they have been transformed into neutral expressions instead of the users becoming male-centric IMO. Example: patriot used to mean someone who loves their country; now it tends to mean ultra-nationalist, right-wing radical who desires to violently overthrow the government. Context is everything in certain situations being called 'lady' or 'girl' can be funny and completely acceptable providing it isn't a backhanded way of association with a fault/weakness.
In general, I'm a fan for brevity. If we have to be vigilant in our speech (to match the other places where we need it) then I believe we will communicate less or reach a tipping point where people backlash against any perceived social control (ever read the comments on a typical youtube video???).
The importance of speech
I used to think making a big deal about "you guys" was fairly trivial in relation to the other issues we face until I read that oft quoted piece in Bitch magazine no. 18 some years ago. It absolutely resonated with me that to accept use of this term reinforces the concept that maleness is universal and femaleness is not (just as Lisa Jervis points out here), so I stopped using it. Once you break the habit, you never look back.
Interestingly, here in Ireland I find I am even more annoyed by the term "the lads". Lads (men) can be lads, and a group of people that includes women can be referred to as "the lads" but a group of women is referred to as "girls" - regardless of age. I am in my late thirties and often grind my teeth to dust when I hear 20 year old guys in my office refer to me as "that girl". I tell them: "I'm not a girl, I'm a woman". And they pretty much poo themselves. "Yis" is an acceptable plural to "you" but is falling out of favour.
As American culture and language become more and more popular amongst the upwardly mobile Irish yuppie set, I hear "guys" being used more and more. Why can't we import something useful from America like...oh I don't know...Bitch magazine (for starters)!
anyone from pittsburg?
i'm not, but apparently there they say "yins" let's not rule out that option.
i have at times adopted y'all, not so much as a result of my discomfort with using you guys, but more depending on the company i'm in. i tend to be more likely to use it around friends of color, but sometimes makes me feel as if i'm appropriating their culture. so y'all is good, but can get a bit tricky in its own way.
i also have encountered baffled expressions, misconceptions and laughter when i describe myself as dating a woman (i identify as a male, p.s.). people either think i'm dating a middle aged mom or just laugh. i realized after a while that i'd gotten pretty good at saying women when i'm not talking about specific women, but things regarding women, and had to train myself to stop referring to "girls." it bothers me that i know so many 24 year old women (including the woman i love)who want to refer to themselves as girls, but refer to men as guys. we're all grown. can't we just be men and women (or womyn if you prefer)?
Pittsburgh
I'm from Pittsburgh, and most of us do say "yins". I think it's a good neutral substitute, but I sure do get odd looks when I say it outside of my city, haha.
interesting
It never occurred to me that people might be offended by the phrases "you guys" or "dude," especially since most men and women use those terms for both men and women. You all just sounds too southern to fit with my pattern of speech, though i do use it once in a while, and get called out for it. I know some women get offended at the usage of "girls" for grown women, but it's never offended me and I use it. My 70 something year old grandmother still uses it to describe her 70 something year old friends! LOL
Thanks for the interesting blog.
merri
http://www.tantalizingtibdits.com
Guilty beyond belief..
In my line of work, I deal with around 30 kids varying from gr 1 - 6 in a gymnasium after school. Things tend to get a little chaotic, so as an attention-getter, I usually just call out 'Okay, you guys, it's time to clean up' or whatnot. I'm also guilty of using 'dude' to refer to.. well, anyone, if I have to. Usually it's an easy way to get someone's attention without stumbling over names, or to use it as a sort of term of endearment. The kids I work with started copying me, calling me a dude back.. until I said I wasn't a guy, and they'd switch to 'dude.... ette'. Frankly, the 'ette' drove me crazier than 'you guys' or 'dude' ever would. There are some forms of language that I find very sexist, and will correct people on (such as policeman/fireman/etc..), but I'm not bothered by 'you guys' or 'dude.' I've got quite a few friends in the States that use 'ya'll', but I'm from the middle of Canada - it seems awkward to say 'ya'll' because it's so stereotypical of Southern U.S. residents. This is one of those tricky issues that doesn't seem to have a real answer for me, yet..
I'm a guy. He's a guy. She's a guy.
Maybe the best solution to this problem is to de-sex the word "guy." As in, "I met her yesterday. She seems like a really nice guy." Then it will all work out.
I'm a nice guy
yes! I agree, I've done this several times, as a lady I have called myself "a nice guy" a lot. I think it's brilliant, and fun.
You people
I'm certainly not a fan of 'you guys,' but the thought of replacing it with y'all just doesn't sit well with me.
I actually say 'you people' quite a bit but unfortunately, that can also come off as being offensive in certain situations.
'scuse me...
It's weird but for some reason I think I would be put off by that phrase. It would be like someone I know calling me by my full name. Obviously, I'm in trouble for something... :)
What about "oh boy" and "grrrl"?
After living in the South for years, I've given into using "you all," although I try to catch myself and say it properly ("all of you"). I was born in New York, so I can't bear to say "y'all" on purpose. I agree with the high school sentimentality of calling friends "dudes," but I always said it in reference to a group of female friends, or at least while talking to them. I frequently call my closest straight male friend and my closest female friends "babe," so I think of it as either gender-neutral or intentionally subverted in that limited context. But I would never use the word with anyone else. What really bothers me is hearing purported feminists use the phrase, "Oh boy!" It just grates against fiber of my linguistic being...
On the other side of gendering, being called "girl" doesn't bother me, so long as it comes from another woman - which I think is a bit of a Southern thing, as well. A few other female friends also use "chica" because we grew up in Arizona where Spanish is prevalent. And some women mean "grrrl" when they say it, which they use for a feminist context - a theatre camp for young women here in Nashville uses it. I don't mind it when other members of the LGBTQ community and friends use "dyke," but I think it sometimes offends me coming from strangers since it has had a negative context in the past. I'd rather just be called a lesbian. But that always makes me wonder: Should it bother us that who is using these phrases matters? Language is encultured and symbolic, so it matters who is speaking just as much or even more than their word choices. I do think it's time for the print magazine to revisit this issue.
Rather universal
Being a Spanish major, I know that when there is a group of people that includes both girls and guys, the masculine form of the word "you all" or "you guys" is taken. So it's pretty universal for words to take on the "male" form. I dont really feel like its offensive. Many people these days do use "you ladies" or "you girls" if its all girls, and "you guys" if its all guys. However, when addressing both it can just be natural to say "you guys" or when trying to be familiar. Now, I was the girl in fourth grade that hated singing in the patriotic show because the words were "I'm an American boy" and during the show loudly screamed "GIRL!!" So yes I like to be recognized as a female, however, I dont feel that hearing "you guys" is something to get all riled up about. It's not a phrase that should be used in a business environment or anywhere on the job, because it does sound very informal. I agree that "you all" may be a safe thing to say to people just in case they would be offended, but at the same time being included in a "you guys" statement is much less offensive than other words that girls can be called in this society.
Meh
"You guys" doesn't specifically bother me, but being from the South originally, I still favor "y'all." It's such a perfect abbreviation, AND it sounds friendly. Additionally, if you happen to dislike enunciation, it rolls off the tongue easily enough. Those familiar with Pittsburgh, PA, might also recognize "yins" as a viable alternative. You might have to explain that to more people, though.
wow
I couldn't care less if people say 'hey guys" or "dude" or "man"--- these are not really loaded terms or gender specific anymore. I don't really need anyone saying excuse me "ladies and guys", it just sounds false and not authentic to real speech.
Does the author of the post only want to be addressed by "hey people" or "peeps"?
Youse?
..."youse" - there couldn't be a worse mangling of the english language, or a term that makes someone sound more uneducated (sorry oz)
I use y'all often, but just as often I use "you guys" with no problem. I'm weary to the bone of "political correctness" and can't wait for political correctness to become incorrect :)
political correctness
or just speaking with a mind toward inclusivity? i'm not a guy and i don't want to be called one. it's really that simple to me. i don't see the point of fooling myself into believing that the word has no roots, and thus no meaning.
so the next step...
When someone says "you guys" inappropriately, what do we do? If one of the big issues behind "you guys" not dying soon enough is that people don't take notice when it's used—then how do we prompt ourselves to notice?
I've brought it up to friends, with differing responses, but with friends, it's a little easier to have a convo. Would you say something to a stranger? And what would it be?
There are so many more important things to focus on...
"You guys" doesn't affect me in the slightest. And yes, it is the accepted standard because referring to people or titles with the influece of the male gender is going to always be the standard. America was founded by men. We have always deviated toward a male influence in our language and always will. There's no need to change this, either. If you don't like America's history and values, move somewhere else. Women should be looking to other areas for real change. Not something as paltry and irreversible as this.
Thomas Jefferson, is that you?
Or should I call you Mr. Anonymous?
without resistance there is no growth
"If you don't like America's history and values, move somewhere else."
Sorry, but I guess I'm too optimistic to agree with you.
And just to clarify, which "America" are you referring to when you refer to America's values?
Better for All of Us?
What about just calling people what they prefer to be called? If Rasmussen doesn't like "you guys" used in reference to her, then she is perfectly entitled to insist that people not use it with her. However, her feelings aren't universal, so why should everyone else change? So that she can feel better? That seems like a really weak reason, to me.
This country consists of many different cultures spread out across a continent. Words just don't mean the same thing everywhere and I think it's a bit hegemonic to try and create some universal standards about what is and isn't better for all of us. I've lived on the West Coast, in the South, and the Midwest and I love the diversity of speech that exists in this country. Language is a significant part of culture. Each culture that uses a "word" adds their own meaning to it. It would be a shame if that diversity disappears any more than it already has.
I mean, what are we looking for? Is this what social movements are trying to move towards? A world where we all think and sound alike? If so, where does it stop? Personally, I'm not very fond of the word "b*tch". However, do I think that everyone else should stop using it? Nope. Is there any guarantee that if everyone stopped using it, "social movements/radical community spaces" would feel better for us all? If using the term "you guys" is problematic to Rasmussen, then how in the world does she square that belief with the fact that this is written in a magazine called "B*tch"?
In many places, these controversial words are colloquial terms of endearment. "Darling", "cher", "you guys", "girls", "folks"--it all depends on how they are being used. If my momma calls me up and asks "How are you guys doing over there?" it sounds a helluvalot better to me than if she asked me "How are you and the man and the female child doing over there?" It certainly wouldn't make me feel any better to hear the latter rather than the former. In that situation "you guys" would be perfectly fine with me.
Of course, since we're down here in the deep, deep south, we usually use "y'all" to refer to groups (of single or mixed genders). Still, is that really better than "you guys"? Better to and for who? I don't think any of my former English teachers would see it as much of an improvement.
Also, it's dancing dangerously close to cultural appropriation for some of these folks to start trying to switch from using the words from their own culture and purposely adopting the dialect of other cultures. If I'm in the heart of Wisconsin and some Mid-westerner starts using the word "y'all" to address a group that includes me, that would sound a lot more problematic, and perhaps offensive, than if they had just said "you guys".
not to put words in her mouth (no pun intended) but-
-I think Debbie's post goes beyond simply stating a personal preference. She's calling out one (of many) of the ways the English language privileges maleness over most anything else. (Of course she's welcome to correct me...please do.)
Personally, I was one of the people who said "but...but..." when I originally read this post. I grew up in Southern California where "you guys" was second only to "like" in frequency of use. After I moved away, I tried substituting "you girls" at times I would have normally used "you guys", like in emails: "I can make cupcakes or cookies. What do you girls prefer?" specifically to mixed groups, just to have the chance to explain why being offended at being called a "girl" was on the same level as not wanting to be "one of the guys". But that was only when I felt like it. Not being consistent.
And I still wasn't being consistent by the time I read Debbie's post, and had the knee-jerk reaction, "that's not SUCH a big deal." But it is. They're two small words that people throw off without thinking, and not thinking is part of the danger. I'm glad Debbie wrote about this because it makes me think, and I've been making an effort to be conscious about ALL parts of the language I use, not just the ones that seem problematic *to me*.
Regarding what to say instead, that's a question I posed in an earlier comment, but I would think "how are you, [husband's name], and [child's name]" would be an appropriate way to phrase things. I think there are more ways than one—they just require thought :).
Roots and meaning
I just wanted to comment on what someone said about the words having roots, and therefore a meaning. Of course that is true, but you know, language changes. As a counter example, I want to ask: When someone says, "That is so fucked up." (for example), do you assume that they mean that the item in question has been had sexual intercourse with? Of course you don't, the meaning has been lost in this usage. In the same way, the use of "you guys" has been, and is becoming more and more, gender-neutral. At least that's how I see it.
Although, having said that, I don't think it is a bad idea for people to talk about it and bring it to others' attention, the way that casual use of language is shaped by prevailing assumptions and norms, and to try to change them.
different context doesn't = lost meaning
So then what kind of image does 'fucked up' mean? Messed up? Tore up? Like how? What kind of person would get 'fucked up'?
I had a (male) friend in college who once said to me "I got raped by that exam". I said his use of 'rape' to describe how he did on his test was completely inappropriate and belittling to true victims of rape. His response: "yeah, but that's what I mean, I mean I was raped."
People may give words added meaning or words may acquire new meanings but that doesn't mean they lose the old ones.
Regional differences
While I agree that language is hugely important, I have mixed feelings about "you guys." Five years ago, I would have been totally on board with Debbie, but since then I've moved first to the South, and now I'm in Europe. Being a non-Southerner in the South has been extremely uncomfortable; the mentality I've encountered constantly is "if you aren't from here, go home." Using "you guys" instead of the more gender-neutral "y'all" is my own small way of subverting that discrimination.
I think regional differences in speech are important to take into consideration. In the US, people don't identify as American in the same way that they identify with their own particular region, state, or town. Culture varies wildly around the country, and as we move to an age when people rarely stay in one place for long, hold on to that culture is as important as it would be if you moved to another country.
This is perhaps slightly off-topic, but something worth taking into consideration. I do agree that gender-specific language, especially when it is used to refer to general population, is not desirable, and I do my best to eliminate those from my vernacular, or at least use them in way that call attention to the double-standard.
y'all are alright :)
Y'all is a great word. Means you all. Same goes for an' 'em. Means et al. You folks works too.
Look, hate on the south if you want, but I love the language and I am not sure if you can find *proper* (no sugar!) cornbread elsewhere!
Seriously, you people? That sounds sort of, idk, accusatory. Like your parents got home from vacation early and found all your friends over..."I don't know what YOU PEOPLE are doing here..."
(Whew, I am about to pee myself at the thought!)
And as far as the south being sort of, xenophobic (in the sense of being afraid of "others", not just folks from out of the US), it prolly ain't any more so than other regions of the country or the world even, where things are rural, the pace of life is slow, and communities are close knit. I mean, sociology prof. told me that smaller groups enforce social norms more stringently. But we do warm up to people!
Before I read the article
Before I read the article addressing this topic I was decidedly skeptical about how important this kind of gendered language really is- however, once I began to mull the topic over, I saw the phrase differently. It seems trivia at first blush, but despite what one assumes, language does have a strong cultural impact. Research has examined the use of language in childrens' books and the negative effect it can have on the way children perceive female characters and male characters (as passive and active respectively). And let's not forget the standard use of the term "mankind" and the default "he/him" in text books of the past; words that were removed because they implied women were/are absent from the topic being discussed in the text- mere inactive observers.
Since reading the article my friends and I have fully embraced "you gyns" as a "you guys" substitute. It's not nearly as hard as one might think to replace such a commonly used phrase, and it's much more fun to say!