Why do we call women girls at some points, no matter age?

Question

I lost what I typed before, so I'll paraphrase.

"I've been looking for a girl like you my whole life."---Considered polite, and sweet

"I don't like watching girls' basketball (WNBA)"--- Considered mildly to highly offensive.

"I've been married to my gal here for 40 years." --- A 70 year old man.

I think it may have to do with feelings of age, virility, and fertility.

I've heard men called boy, but I'd take offense. I guess we like the power and prestige that come with gae we don't have as boys.

Do you ladies find it offensive to be called "my girl" (love), "my girl" (friendship), or "my girl" (daughter, grand-daughter, etc.)

Answer 1

Some women would want to be called girls,it makes them feel cute, woman is a general term for adult female,but I would like to be called Lady, that is an upper class term for woman.

Answer 2

"Girl" implies not only youth, but also intimacy -- which is all well and good if such a relationship exists, but is demeaning if there is not already such a relationship in place between the speaker and the person about whom he is speaking. That's why "looking for a girl like you" is acceptable (assuming it's being said in the middle of a passionate embrace), for the same reason it was acceptable for me to come home and call out, "And how are my beautiful girls today?" even when my wife was in her thirties -- because the actual minor children in question were our daughters, implying a certain level of intimacy between my wife and me, and also that I had a pretty good idea that my wife was a grown-up woman. (We now have a son, and I work from home, so I haven't issued this proclamation in ten years or so... :-)

Walking into a management staff meeting with people you don't know and announcing "I've brought doughnuts, and nonfat muffins for you girls," is going to result in stern looks and possibly a strongly-worded letter in your personnel file.

The whole "girl" issue really highlights the need for an informal phrase for female companions, colleagues and co-workers, along the lines of "guys." That is, for males we have "boys" (which implies youth and, to some extent, subservience -- don't believe me? Walk into a room of adult males, point to one, and say "Come over here, boy") and "guys" (which implies informality and friendliness). We don't have a clearly defined phrase for females which implies informality without also implying a lower social status.

And that's the point of the objection to "girl" -- used by men toward adult women with whom they do not have an informal, friendly or intimate relationship, it's taken as implying a dominant/subservient relationship, even if the speaker intends it to create an aura of friendship and informality.

What I'm beginning to see is the use of the term "gal" to imply friendship and informality without the demeaning overtones. Consider the subtle differences between:

"The graphic-design staff is a bunch of really talented girls."

"The graphic-design staff is a bunch of really talented gals."

The first is likely to offend at least half of the females in question, even if they're being described as "really talented;" the second is better at conveying a sense of camaraderie and informal friendliness, without demeaning the women in question.

And, while "...a bunch of really talented women" is correct (and so is leaving it out altogether, by saying something like "The design staff is really talented"), I believe there is a genuine use for an informal, friendly, group term for women, one that men can use to imply friendship and camaraderie without being demeaning. It's possible to combine friendliness with respect, informality with equality. "Girl" only does that in certain relationships, "women" misses out on the informal friendliness; "gal" is perhaps more slang than is called for, but it's starting to see more use.

Answer 3

Q) If adult men, no be counted how solid, cheat faster, what's there a level for females to stay in unswerving or fall in love? A) Ya gotta ask your self. it really is a crap shoot. it truly is their nature. that's hard being a lady. i'd hate to be Kate plus 8, it truly is all i can say. each and every thing you reported became spot-on and that i have been questioning it for decades. that's made even worse through different females who make different cheated on females to be the reason of their own grief and suffering delivered on through dishonest adult men. Such makes me ill. there's no excuse for dishonest. that's an act of impulsiveness. 2 of three adult men admit to dishonest. With females that's a million in 3. more desirable adult men have a lot less attachment to relatives than do females who're the nurturers. they're going to toss out like used rest room paper even a center elderly spouse and experience no guilt. Many are immature and self established with out experience of responsibility interior the marriage. the most elementary rationalization for death for pregnant females is homicide on the palms the toddler's father to flee fatherhood. sometime possibly someone will invent an inflatable doll for adult men that really works and spare the lives of many women. As you've describe them, many adult men are superficial.

Answer 4

I think it depends a lot on context. My ex would call me "baby" and "little girl" or "my little girl" and it infuriated me because he meant it in a patronizing way, like I was a lesser being to him or inferior.
"girlfriend" and "boyfriend" are supposed to denote feeling of affection, you don't say a woman is your "girlfriend" unless you have a close or intimate relationship, and the same goes with the men....
There are some women who'd be offend at being called a girl in any context, but some just ar offend too easily. Its important to be able to recognize when it is appropriate to use a cutesy, intimate, endearing term like "girl" or "boy" and to say it with sincerity as well.
It really comes down to a matter of etiquette in the end.

Answer 5

I hate it when I'm having a conversation with someone, say, about a "girl" that they work with, etc, etc. The entire conversation I'm picturing a young woman, no older than 24 or 25, only to finally have to ask "wait-how old is this person?" when it comes up that she has three grown children. This has happened quite a few times, with men and women, who are in their early to mid twenties themselves. (Not that exact scenario, but something inevitably comes up in the conversation that "tells" that the subject is an older woman, and not a girl.) Why do people insist on calling women who are old enough to be their mother "girls"? Would you say "Well, my Mom is the kind of girl who..." And you DEFINITELY wouldn't say "My father is the kind of boy that..." It's ridiculous, in either case. If a woman is past 25, she is no longer girl.
Conversely, calling intimates or friends "girl" is okay. If my husband says "You're my girl" until we're 90+ I'll always love it, and when talking to my friends I might call them girls. But referring to strangers or acquaintances that are older women as "girls" is ridiculous.

Answer 6

In our household calling my wife a girl is an endearing expression. When she goes out with other woman, she says she's going out with the "girls."

And it's fun to hear, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls." Just as it was to hear Burt Lancaster say, "Gather around lads and lassies!"

There is a romance in the way we speak - and saying "girl, or lassies" in the appropriate manner is part of that romance. Take it away and the romance is gone!

.

Answer 7

I also believe that there's a science to word usage in sentences.
Conciously and/or subconciously, some people use words that they feel fit more appropriately in certain sentences.

More of a pseudo-science I guess. You just gotta take a lot of risks and go with your intuition.

Answer 8

Must be my age, but I hate it if anyone calls me a girl. It was great when the midwife told my mum "It's a girl" Fine when my mum's friends inquired "What did you Have?" And OK when I went to a 'girl's school' but now...Call me 'WOMAN'.

Answer 9

Ask Beyonce and the like why they call a man boy.

Answer 10

The way it is taken depends on the context of the words, how they are said, and who says them.