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How to informally address a mixed gender group of people in the UK? Any alternative to 'guys' in 'would you guys like to do this and that?'

G33K
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    folks is a gender-neutral term. – Barmar Feb 27 '15 at 16:45
  • And in the American South, Y'all is popular. – Barmar Feb 27 '15 at 16:45
  • 'Would you all...'. School books say that 'Would you ...' suffices for plural naming, but it does sound a little weak, and calls for emphasis. – Mitch Feb 27 '15 at 16:56
  • You might include yourself and then say, "Let's decide whether we want to do this or that." – Jim Feb 27 '15 at 17:18
  • @Barmar - One needs to be a little careful with "y'all", since it can come off sounding condescending if overdone. Better to say "you all", just let the two words slide together a bit. – Hot Licks Feb 27 '15 at 18:25
  • @HotLicks I'm not from the south, but my understanding is that it's the folksie, congenial way they talk to each other. – Barmar Feb 27 '15 at 18:27
  • @Barmar - It's just that if you go down South and start talking to a group and say, eg, "How yall doin?" your audience may roll their eyes and stop listening. I'm from the "border states", not the South, but my ear can detect the difference between a fake "yall" and the real thing very easily. – Hot Licks Feb 27 '15 at 18:33
  • Yeah, it probably only works if an authentic Southerner uses it. Otherwise, it's kind of like when parents try to use their kids' lingo, it's obvious that they're faking it and don't really fit in. – Barmar Feb 27 '15 at 19:48
  • In Britain I think a lot of speakers would simply say everyone. Would everyone care to look at the screen on the left? Could I ask everyone if they would mind filling in the questionnaire? The Japanese say minasan (everyone), even at formal occasions where we would say ladies and gentlemen. ...san is used for Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss - very convenient. – WS2 Feb 27 '15 at 22:56

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