I am totally flumoxed

[Phil Spencer]

I was down the street earlier today and in one of the shops I entered there was a group of members of the opposite gender (you will understand why I use that term shortly) blocking the passage way, so a said in my best gentlemanly manner 'scuse me ladies".

Apparently they were offended that I used the term ladies. :? My mother taught me to always be polite to members of the opposite gender.

How should I have addressed these 'people' should I have perhaps referred to them as scrags or trollops, but by doing that I would have been embarrassed.

What should I say next time there is a (I don't know what the collective noun would be for what looks like a mothers meeting) group these members of the opposite gender :?:?:?:?

[Woodwould]

I've only known a couple of Ladies in Australia (one of them, a former customer and quite the most delightful woman you could meet, is now, sadly deceased).

'Lady' and 'ladies' have been adopted by those who often least deserve the title... slags and women of the night. There are 'girls' and 'women' in my parlance and if I was a woman and someone addressed me as a 'lady', I'd take exception to it because of the modern connotation.

Which street were you in and in which suburb?

[Phil Spencer]

I've only known a couple of Ladies in Australia (one of them, a former customer and quite the most delightful woman you could meet, is now, sadly deceased).

'Lady' and 'ladies' have been adopted by those who often least deserve the title... slags and women of the night. There are 'girls' and 'women' in my parlance and if I was a woman and someone addressed me as a 'lady', I'd take exception to it because of the modern connotation.

Which street were you in and in which suburb?

So should I have said 'scuse me girls'?

i was in the Discount Chemist at Glen Waverley.

[Woodwould]

So should I have said 'scuse me girls'?

i was in the Discount Chemist at Glen Waverley.

OK, so not St. Kilda then.

I don't know; I would probably omit the gender address and just say "Excuse me please".

[Phil Spencer]

I've only known a couple of Ladies in Australia (one of them, a former customer and quite the most delightful woman you could meet, is now, sadly deceased).

'Lady' and 'ladies' have been adopted by those who often least deserve the title... slags and women of the night. There are 'girls' and 'women' in my parlance and if I was a woman and someone addressed me as a 'lady', I'd take exception to it because of the modern connotation.

Which street were you in and in which suburb?

WW I need to mine your vast intellect, what would be the collective noun for a group of people belonging to the opposite gender group? :?

[Woodwould]

Girls, blades, wenches, women, ladies, lesbians and slags, depending on their age, social status, predilections and vocations. Or perhaps a battery of women? A gossip of women? A thumbprint of women? Petitioners? The list is endless.

[Scribbly Gum]

"Excuse me harridans"
should do it.
SG

[BEKKY]

My wife gets extremely annoyed when we walk into a shop and the sales person
says "Hi Guys". :~:~

[Woodwould]

"Excuse me harridans"
You smooth talker you!

[jimbur]

Shameless hussies would get a reaction.
Cheers,
Jim
ps guys is the next best thing to a laxative.

[Phil Spencer]

In retrospect I think they may have been menopausal. I can say that because my initials are PMS

[chambezio]

"Hi guys, what can I do for today/" I grimmis through clenched teeth!
OR when a girl/woman calls me "mate" I don't like that either. I don't mind that from a bloke, but not from a woman (not even my wife)
Another thing that gets under my skin is when a sales person says "I haven't got any of.......today". Its not theirs, it belongs to the company's owner!!! They are only helping you to buy the article.
I am getting to be a grumpy old man
I must be getting old because I am experiencing being transparent more and more.

[Phil Spencer]

"Hi guys, what can I do for today/" I grimmis through clenched teeth!
OR when a girl/woman calls me "mate" I don't like that either. I don't mind that from a bloke, but not from a woman (not even my wife)
Another thing that gets under my skin is when a sales person says "I haven't got any of.......today". Its not theirs, it belongs to the company's owner!!! They are only helping you to buy the article.
I am getting to be a grumpy old man
I must be getting old because I am experiencing being transparent more and more.
What about when they call you LUV or DARL :((

[chambezio]

I rarely get that from my wife. But from somebody else.....no likey

But on the upside if somebody calls me "young fella"....I am putty in their hands

[Phil Spencer]

Had a Trollop kept calling me LUV and Darl once, so I asked if she wanted to sleep with me, coped a triad of abuse back to this day I don't know why. :-

[col's dad]

the collective noun for flock of CROWS is a" FUNERAL", so were they some old FUNERAL'S?

[Optimark]

I always thought it was a "murder" of crows.

Mick.

[col's dad]

:B I stand corrected, I belive you are right, when they won't move, or block the aisle in the supermarket, thats when you want to do more than call them, wot you said:;

[Scott]

I would only say "excuse me" (without the gender, like other forumites have alluded) and would then fart in their midst when walking through.

[Bushmiller]

"Hi guys, what can I do for today/" OR when a girl/woman calls me "mate" I don't like that either. I don't mind that from a bloke, but not from a woman (not even my wife)
Another thing that gets under my skin is when a sales person says "I haven't got any of.......today". Its not theirs, it belongs to the company's owner!!! They are only helping you to buy the article.


I struggle with the opposing sexes calling each other mate. Just doesn't sound right to my ears.

I don't really mind when they say "we" haven't etc. as to me it sounds as though they are part of a big family and they empathise, but "I" is a little on the arrogant side and speaks of self-importance.

I remember a tech teacher when I was going to welding classes. Dan was a lovely man and if he saw you struggling with a project he would step in and say in the most humble manner imaginable "Would you like us to weld that up for you?."

Back to the original group of females. Presumably when they insisted they were not ladies it is possible they were throwing out a hint completely devoid of subtelty.:) Possibly they were offended when you did not pick up on it.:wink:. Purely out of interest Phil, what age group would they fall in to, as this could be a clue?

Regards
Paul

[Phil Spencer]

I struggle with the opposing sexes calling each other mate. Just doesn't sound right to my ears.

I don't really mind when they say "we" haven't etc. as to me it sounds as though they are part of a big family and they empathise, but "I" is a little on the arrogant side and speaks of self-importance.

I remember a tech teacher when I was going to welding classes. Dan was a lovely man and if he saw you struggling with a project he would step in and say in the most humble manner imaginable "Would you like us to weld that up for you?."

Back to the original group of females. Presumably when they insisted they were not ladies it is possible they were throwing out a hint completely devoid of subtelty.:) Possibly they were offended when you did not pick up on it.:wink:. Purely out of interest Phil, what age group would they fall in to, as this could be a clue?

Regards
Paul

Mid 30ish to mid 40ish. :oo:

[_fly_]

I usually ask them if they are waiting for a bus that they don't come past here, You need to go outside to a bus-stop.

[Grumpy John]

What about when they call you LUV or DARL :((

Christ Phil, they're only trying to be friendly. If you don't want people to talk to you get a T-Shirt that reads "I'm a miserable bastard, DON'T talk to me"

[pugwash]

A lot of woman say "Hello handsome" to me as I pass by.
Curiously it's only when I'm with the dog!

[Phil Spencer]

Christ Phil, they're only trying to be friendly. If you don't want people to talk to you get a T-Shirt that reads "I'm a miserable bastard, DON'T talk to me"
Thought they wanted to jump into the sack with me. :oo: