Women Hear People Men Called Refer Girls Speak

Many people believe that men and women have different ways of "communicating" (talking or sharing information). This may be especially true when it comes to dating. Sometimes men say one thing, and women hear another, and "vice versa" (true the other way around; the reverse is true). That may be because men speak their own language, something called "guy speak," and women speak their own language called "girl speak."

We use the word "guy," the singular form, to refer to a man or a boy. For example, we might say, "Look at that crazy guy over there. He's wearing a winter coat in the middle of summer!" However, you will also hear Americans use the word "guys," the plural form, to refer to a group of mixed men/women or boys/girls all the time. It's common for people to say to a mixed group: "Hey guys, look at this!" or "Come over here, guys."

Technically, "gal" is the female "equivalent" (same in meaning) of "guy," but "gal" now sounds old-fashioned and you don't hear it often in daily conversation. Instead, you will hear people use "girls" to refer to a group of girls or women. Sometimes, though, women don't like to be called "girls" because while "guys" can be a male of any age, "girls" are usually females under the age of 18. It can sound a little "condescending" (showing that one is "superior" (having higher position or status) than the person you are talking to). To be safe, and more polite, use "ladies" for women.