Guys for Girls Redux

[Kathleen E. Miller]

Hello All,

A few months ago we had a discussion about calling a group of girls, "guys."

The other day, on our way through a rather seedy part of town (RFK's not in
the greatest location) a woman came up to the car and asked for money,
saying she was hungry and pregnant. (She was, obviously so). She then
noticed a male friend [mid-30's Maryland native] smoking, and changed from
asking for money, to asking for a cigarette.

My friend replied, "DUDE, you're pregnant!"

I made a [admittedly cursory] search of the archives and didn't notice this
being discussed. And I don't know whether if I've behind the times and the
entire world knows that it's morphed into non-gender specific use, or my
friend's the only one to use it that way, but I had never heard it in such
a context before.


Kathleen E. Miller
Research Assistant to William Safire
The New York Times