Growing up, it was common in my region of the United States to use the word “guys” with the second-person plural, as in: “How are you guys?” I didn’t think twice about using it until I learned the history of the word “guy” and considered what it meant when used for groups that included women and nonbinary people.
The history of “guy”
The origin of “guy” is traced to Guy Fawkes, who became infamous when he was arrested for trying to assassinate King James I in 1605. The English parliament established November 5 as Guy Fawkes Day to commemorate the failed assassination plot, and the word “guy” described an effigy of Fawkes with a grotesque mask which was burned on that celebration day. In England, “guy” eventually came to be used as a pejorative for a man (“He’s a bad guy”).
When the term later spread to United States slang, the negative connotations were largely lost, perhaps due to lack of context, and “guy” came to mean “man” or “fellow” in the singular and “person” in the plural.
The history of second-person pronouns like “you”
One more foray into linguistic history to help us understand how we got to the common use of “you guys.” Prior to the 18th century, the English language had distinct pronouns for the second- person singular and plural:
- Singular: thou, thee, thine
- Plural: you, ye, your
You/ye/your was also used as a form of respect when addressing one person, which eventually led to thou/thee/thine being perceived as disrespectful and falling out of use. With this loss of the second person singular, modern English has lacked a pronoun to distinguish between “you” that refers to an individual person and “you” that refers to multiple people.
Hence, countries and regions have come up with alternatives:
- y’all (U.S. South, West Indies, Alberta)
- you’uns (Appalachia)
- yinz (Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania, parts of the U.K.)
- yous / youse (Philadelphia, parts of New York City, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Scotland)
- ye (Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador)
- you lot (England)
That brings us to “you guys,” which is used in many regions of the U.S. and other English-speaking countries.
The problem with you “you guys”
Since a singular “guy” is a man, those who are not men can feel excluded when referred to as “guys” in the plural. This is similar to the exclusion women and nonbinary people may feel when they hear a phrase such as, “All men are created equal.”
I recently posted a tweet with suggestions for gender-neutral alternatives to “you guys” and solicited more options. Some people responded that they view “you guys” as “gender-neutral” and that “there are bigger things to get worked up over.” Others expressed that they too have been bothered by the term “guys” for women and mixed-gender groups and have been trying to stop using it.
Dr. Ronda Alexander pointed out in a response that “it hurts most when it’s an organization/group composed entirely of women.” And as Kymberly Louise, an advocate for wellbeing in education, noted, “you guys” can be problematic even when the speaker perceives the group to be all-male: “I don’t want to accidentally misgender someone even from my perspective [that] they appear to identify as male.”
“Most people say they mean everyone but the issue is that not everyone hears it that way,.” psychologist Claire Mulligan-Foster explained. Think about it like this: Would you greet a mixed-gender or all-male group with, “How are you gals?” Probably not, unless you were trying to make a point. “I did use ‘gals’ one time in a mixed group to point out the ridiculousness of saying ‘guys,'” Gordon Dosher shared.
Dropping “guys” and other gender-exclusive language can help create organizational cultures in which everyone feels a sense of belonging. As one study found, subtle gender-exclusive linguistic cues can lead women to feel ostracized and to self-select out of professional environments. In the study, women responded with a lower sense of belonging and less motivation during mock interviews that used gender-exclusive language (he) as compared to interviews that used gender-inclusive (he or she) or gender-neutral (one) language.
What to say instead of “guys” or “you guys”
Replacing “guys” with gender-neutral alternatives grants respect to the people being addressed, regardless of whether you personally view “guys” as gender-neutral. Not every alternative fits every context, but generally one or more of these options will work.
Substitute “you guys” with:
- you all
- you two
- you both
- you folks
- you
- y’all / all y’all / yous / youse / you’uns / yinz / ye / you lot (depending on your location)
For other usages such as “hey / hi / hello guys,” substitute “guys” with:
- all
- everyone / everybody
- people
- folks
- team
- colleagues
- comrades
- squad
- friends
- pals
- peeps
- party people
- lovely people
- beautiful humans
Or just say “hey,” “hi,” or “hello” without attaching any other word!
5 quick tips to help you ditch “guys”
Even with the very best intentions, it can be a challenge to change an ingrained behavior. For those of us who’ve been saying “guys” since we were five, it’s going to take a minute to stop.
Here are a few tips to help us all move in the right direction:
1. Decide to break your “guys” habit
Set a goal to stop using “guys” to refer to women and mixed-gender groups. If you’re in a position of authority as a leader, manager, or respected senior employee, it’s all the more important for you to set an example. Inclusivity is best addressed from the top down, by leaders who set expectations and norms. In the workplace, leaders can communicate guidelines others need to follow when it comes to inclusive language in their organizations. And in education settings, professors and teachers can challenge their students to not use “guys,” as Dr. Nancy Lough has done.
2. Self-correct out loud or internally
Remember that “guys” can be so ingrained in our speech patterns that it’s almost inevitable to slip up. It happened to me once when I passed a group of female colleagues in the hallway. I greeted them, “How are you guys doing?” As I kept walking, I silently chastised myself. If you use “guys” unintentionally and the situation allows, correct yourself. Try: “I meant to say, ‘How are you all doing?'” And give yourself grace for the mistake.
3. Ask others to correct you
Tell others you’re quitting the “guys” habit and give them permission to call you out if you use it inappropriately. One teacher asked her fourth-grade class to do this and found that the “kids got me together SO quick.”
4. Call it out
If you hear others repeatedly using “guys” to refer to women or mixed-gender groups, call it out in private with a rationale. For example, you might pull someone aside and say: “I know that many people use ‘you guys’ to refer to a group, but some people don’t think of themselves as a ‘guy.'” This is especially important in the workplace where inclusive language can help women and nonbinary people feel welcome.
5. Solicit help from colleagues
If you’re part of a group being referred to as “guys,” it can be tricky to call out. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking up yourself, consider seeking out a colleague or manager who can bring it up.
As a response to my Twitter post, one person noted that “language changes with time.” It’s true. We can all help the English language evolve to become more inclusive. And we can start by getting rid of the word “guys” when referring to people who aren’t men.
Amy Diehl, PhD is chief information officer at Wilson College and an expert on gender bias in the workplace. Find her on Twitter @amydiehl.
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