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RebYidd23,
It’s outdated and could be seen as specifically excluding people who are not ladies or gentlemen.
Not outdated, just changed meaning and usage. Languages evolve along with cultures. Lady is a traditional English title, but in 21st Century America, it’s a nicety.
It’s racist to call a woman a girl or a man a boy!
Context is important, man! Context!
How is it racist to call a girl a woman or a boy a man? Has this ever been used in a racist context?
CTLawyer provided an example above.
But were boys ever called men or girls called women?
All the time, usually prepended with “young.”
Joseph,
Is referring to women (or men) a negative thing?
No, the negativity comes by exclusion, e.g., that woman is not a lady…
Lilmod, I find it exceedingly rare, especially in frum society, for adult males to be called boys.
I guess frum society doesn’t have the “good ole boys” network that many small southern towns do.
“only if it’s done one way and not the other, but I find that usually people who do one, do the other.”
“What does that mean?”
I mean that single males are also called boys. If they are not, then it’s condescending to call single females “girls”.
“And are you suggesting that married women not be referred to as girls? (As married men are not called a bochor.)”
As far as I know, married female are generally not called girls. Except by their single friends who are the same age as them. Like I might call my friends girls since I’m a girl and I’m the same age as them.
“The reason I find it highly problematic for males to call adult females as girls, is that the underlying reason it is used is as as a form of endearment.”
I got that. I just personally have not heard it used that way. Obviously if you know people who use it that way, then it’s a problem. But if people also refer to adult single males as boys, then I would think that’s a proof that they are not using it the way you say.
I also don’t really see how it could be used that way, since it’s usually used in third person. You don’t call a person a “girl” or “lady” or “boy” etc to their face; it’s how you refer to them.
Lilmod….
Unfortunately some people do call others Lady or boy to their faces. Sometimes they don’t even realize they are doing it.
For example: calling out to a waiter in a restaurant ‘garcon’
That’s merely the French word for boy. No one i know usesthe word Serveur
If someone would call out to me, “hey girl”, I think I would find that rude. In Israel, they would probably say, “giveret” in such a case, even though ordinarily I would be a “bachura”. In the US, I would think they would either say “miss” or “slicha” or “excuse me” if they were trying to get my attention.
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