Adult Females: Girls, ladies or women?

[TheNiteHwk]

Adult Females: Girls, ladies or women?

This has come up a couple times for me lately.

Are females (lets say 19+) girls, ladies, women or ? How do you refer to them? I seem to always use the term girls for some reason I’m not sure of. It can maybe be taken out of context I think sometime if someone your talking too thinks you mean young girls. Most times I don’t though. For example I might say to you “Wow there were a lot of nice girls at that party” Now of course I mean adult age females. Also as another example I have a LF whom I sometimes refer to as a girl. She’s 31. Sometimes she will mention it to me “I’m not a girl!” she will say to me. “I’m not a teenager OK?” she will complain. I usually just say to her with a fun tease “Yah well your not no lady either, <lol>” That shuts her up.

Also… How about this? If I say to you I have a new GF you will think I mean a SO GF. If I say I have a new LF. You will think oh he met a new girl but she not a GF just friends. So lady friend is different then girl friend then.

But seriously… what do you think? Girls, ladies or women?

 

[Svend]

It depends on the situation and the woman. Some are more sensitive or want to be seen as more businesslike or taken more seriously.

There's often a double standard - it's okay to call men by many names like boys, guys, lads, but some women hate being called the equivalent girls, gals, lasses.

I think some chicks need to lighten up.

 

[JoyfulC]

Chicks.

..c..

 

[Viewer]

RE: LF - I actually don't think of it as different from GF. When you or others use LF, I still think GF, but that you are being more sensitive to the whole not-a-girl-since-she-was-xxx-age thing.

I once had a, er, GF/LF/SO who was a very serious feminist. I got called to task more than once for calling a female over the age of 13 (!) a girl. It seems that if they are post-pubescent, they are women, in some people's minds.

To be honest, there is a different mental 'flavour' using the word "woman" instead of "girl", and I followed her usage rules for a few years after we split up.

I've lightened up quite a bit since then, but have stayed conscious of the issue.

Interesting topic.

 

[CreamTea]

Everyone is either a boy or a girl - if under 18 then a little boy or a little girl, unless they are overweight of course, in which case they are a big little boy or a big little girl.

I've never understood why North Americans have to clasify all their friends - girl friend, co-worker, etc. Why can't we all just be friends!

 

[Guy7]

If she is a virgin she is known as chick or a girl
Non-Virgin turns into a women
35+ turns into a cougar