Calling adult sisters 'the girls'

I think it's a fuss over nothing. I would love to be referred to as a girl. It's quite sweet actually.

I call my adult daughters, girls' and they don't seem to mind.

I regularly meet with a group of female ex-colleagues for lunch. The oldest is 91 and we are known as 'X's Girls'. One of the main reasons for meeting is that X doesn't have much of a social life and by by naming the group after her, she is thrilled to bits. The addition of 'girls' is recognition that we are all female and hopefully, have not yet lost the Joie de Vivre that young girls have!

'X's women' doesn't quite have the same cachet!

Names are important. I don't expect they would like to be called 'Miss....' either..When my Mother received letters in the sixties she was sometimes referred to as 'Mrs' and then my Father's initials and surname. All wrong I think. An older friend of my daughter's calls herself 'Granny' to my grandchildren. I'm too polite to say I hate that!

NanaPlenty

Trisha 123 - I’m with you. Good Lord surely there are better things to worry about. Again not said to upset anyone. I call my children ‘the girls’ they are adults and don’t think anything of it . It’s just a term of endearment if anything. Generally people seem to get het up over such small things these days ?

I imagine there are better things to worry about than many many of the things discussed on this forum.
In real life do you only get irritated by and chat about very serious issues?

I HATE being referred to as a "girl". I don't think it is just single women that get called this. You often hear couples say things like "lets leave the girls to shop and go to the bar" or "he went out with the boys last night". No one over the age of 30 should be called a girl or a boy. It is patronising!

We had a builder working on our house who used to refer to my son (32 at the time) as "The Bab," which made me grimace. But it's a local colloquialism for the youngest member of the family, of whatever age. Just not one we've ever used, not being locals originally!

When I was a teenager people would refer to their parents as "the old man" and "the old lady," which I always felt was rather disrespectful ?

Surely, that isn’t offensive.

‘The Girls’.

Can’t see a problem with that myself.

‘Sted’ mentioned it before, if it is in a professional setting it is demeaning. In social situations and family it is just gentle and rather affectionate. What worries me is if it is a creeping in from USA about calling Afro-Americans girl or boy when they are adult? Do not mind at all myself but I am a Brit and too held high office.

My two older sisters were always ‘the girls’, I was ‘the little one’ and my little brother was ‘our lad/son/ boy.’ It lasted until our parents died. No one minded. It’s just how it was .

As The Lancet has a headline referring to women as Bodies With Vaginas and elsewhere we are Cervix Havers, l much prefer girls.

My group of university friends all refer to each other collectively as ‘the girls’. It’s how we first knew each other and affectionate - nothing demeaning about it. Rather nice we all see past the wrinkles and grey hair to who we still are! Not all of us are married either or have a partner.
But if you’re being referred to as ‘the girls’ without respect for you as grown women then that’s a rather different matter altogether.
It should be noted my boy and my girls will always remain just that and my husband and two brothers are always referred to as ‘the boys’. It doesn’t have to be a derogatory term at all.

Slightly different, but during a hospital stay my husband was constantly called by staff "young man". He's obviously not young so what the **, and use his name.

Surely, context is all. When my parents referred to my sisters and I as the girls, it was with love and affection. When referring to us as a group, 'our daughters' sounds so formal, 'the children'? I prefer 'the girls'

In the wrong situation. In a shop or cafe, it is off-putting and patronising and should not be used, but, as I said, with so many words, context is all.

My friends and I have lunch once a month and refer to each other as the girls. We are all in our 70s and don't feel at all old.

Greciangirl

Surely, that isn’t offensive.

‘The Girls’.

Can’t see a problem with that myself.

I suppose the point is that some people find it offensive, when used by family members long after they have moved beyond normal 'girl hood' age.

Hadn't occurred to me that it might be offensive, but having heard from some of those in that situation that it can be, will take it on board.

nanna8

Ooh I’d be delighted and flattered personally. Those were the days ….

Same here Nana8!

My brothers were referred to as ‘the boys’ by our parents (inevitably I guess). Mum died in 2012 and we are almost at the first anniversary of Dad’s death. Even though my brothers are 58 and 53, Dad always referred to them as ‘the boys’. It amused my brothers greatly. Now that Dad has gone I expect they would love to be in the position to be called ‘the boys’ once more. I actually think it rather endearing within families. I still refer to my nephews and nieces as ‘the kids’ even though they range from 30 to 23.

Imo..
Its terms of endearment...really no big deal.

8 female cousins, sadly no males who meet up once a year for our cousins conference ?.! We call ourselves the girls, oldest 70 youngest 45. I don't think it's demeaning at all.

I have no issue with "the girls" if its coming from another woman. I have serious issues if it is a man saying it as that is patronising.

Saetana

I have no issue with "the girls" if its coming from another woman. I have serious issues if it is a man saying it as that is patronising.

How do you feel if it’s woman calling men boys ?

I think they need to get over themselves!! I still refer to my 3 brothers (59,61 and 64) as 'the boys', have a 'girls day out' and refer to meeting up with friends (all of us now in our 60's) as meeting 'the girls'.

I think it's ok for parents/ grandparents but I hate it in game shows when presenters talk about "the girls" v "the boys". I wish they would say Men and Women or Ladies and Gentlemen or use their names.

"The girls" from work are going out for a meal tonight. I can't because I am babysitting my DGD. I am not sure what else I would call them.

I was the sixth child of ten. People used to refer to us as 'Oh, she's one of Williams'. We're weren't real children, we were just one of Williams. Our mother was never mentioned, she was just one who kept us clean, read to us, cooked for us, cleaned, washed, ironed, praised, chastised occasionally, encouraged us all to do our best. William barely spoke to us, he wasn't unkind in the general sense. Mum asked him to talk to us, he asked 'what about?'.