Ladies, women, girls....

[Mr. Bloom]

I've not been able to read all posts as this thread took off, but I do have one question:

I see the phrase "Thanks Ladies" on this forum alot. Does anyone receive this offensively?

It is a sincere question from a man who typically refers to women as "women" not ladies...but the phrase "Thanks Ladies" seems to be a form of slang that doesn't seem offensive and seems appropriate in the right context.

[East Hill]

I've not been able to read all posts as this thread took off, but I do have one question:

I see the phrase "Thanks Ladies" on this forum alot. Does anyone receive this offensively?

It is a sincere question from a man who typically refers to women as "women" not ladies...but the phrase "Thanks Ladies" seems to be a form of slang that doesn't seem offensive and seems appropriate in the right context.

The collective noun of "Ladies" is much less offensive than 'Girls', 'Babes', 'Chicks', etc.

It's also more polite than 'Thanks, Gals', which would be the 'Thanks, Guys' equivalent (because the equivalent of 'Thanks Ladies = Thanks Gentlemen).

East Hill

[Zen]

The collective noun of "Ladies" is much less offensive than 'Girls', 'Babes', 'Chicks', etc.

The collective noun of 'ladies' seems more suited to those women with whom you are acquainted. perhaps a smaller group as well.
Not at all offensive when used in a formal sense.

[lph]

Actually, reconsidering I see there's nothing at all wrong with the terms "ladies" or "girls" or whatever, it's just that sometimes people use them in strange settings. Let's see if I can doodle this out.

Women are often referred to as, well, women, rather than just *people*. Example: yesterdays paper had a headline that went "women start up internet business" (or something of the sort). The article was not about women in general tending to start up net businesses, but about two specific women who had quit their jobs and done so. The headline would never have read "Men start up net business". Men are default, women are pointed out as different.

Especially in a professional setting, making a point out of somebody being a woman is just unnecessary. And can easily make her feel like an outsider. Calling a woman a lady or a girl or whatever might be appropriate, depending on the setting, but a lot of the time it's just unnecessary. It both points out that hey, everybody, this is a woman! and gives her certain characteristics. If that's what you *mean* to say, by all means do so.

On this forum we're obviously all women (give or take so thanking the "girls" or "ladies" isn't strange. And "thanks, women" just sounds strange. On an all-men forum I might say "thanks, gentlemen!". Though I probably would stick to "thanks, everybody".