topic Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study. in Community Chat

You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Foxxee — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:41:21 GMT

What do you say when addressing a group of people?

Dialect differences.

What's your word to address a group? It depends a lot on where you live. Just over 40% who responded to a recent Nextdoor poll asking neighbors for the term they use when speaking to two or more people chose "y'all," with another 26% saying "you guys." Plain old "you" followed with 14%, and "you all" with 13%.

"Y'all" was the most common response in the southern U.S., with "you guys" leading in the North and West, and the Midwest more split between the two. Some cities flipped the trend — with neighbors often saying they have held onto the term they learned growing up elsewhere.

About 6% of neighbors who responded said they had another word or phrase, and those tended to cluster in smaller regions. You're likely to hear neighbors use "yinz" in parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina, while "youse" and "youse guys" appeared frequently in New Jersey and Florida.

In my area, it's you guys; however, I usually say "everyone."

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Desertdi — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:17:08 GMT

"Everyone"

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

on the bay — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 04:10:04 GMT

@Foxxee So true. In the north it's you guys from the mason dixon line on up.

To the south it's you all for transition types, and y'all for true southerners or been there for long enough time.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

CAMOGIRL — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:29:30 GMT

That is definitely y'all.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

goldensrbest — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:28:26 GMT

I use both, y'all ,from growing up in southern Indiana, you guys i use quite alot.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Anonymous032819 — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:34:58 GMT

I use "you guys", and occasionally "y'all".

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Harpa — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:47:55 GMT

Depends on the group. For my practical purposes, it's "class." When writing, it's "students." When it's the grandchildren, it's "children."

I haven't addressed an adult group in a long time. But it's unlikely I would say "y'all" or "you guys."

In my neck of the woods, it is more fashionable to hear "you guys."

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

qualitygal — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:55:03 GMT

I leave it at HI

but I was thinking (we lived in Tex and Fla) when it's that hot, we're keeping cool, with y'all. The other is up north here, you guys. I leave it at HI so as to include all and everyone not offend or leave anyone out.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Oznell — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:00:06 GMT

I love all the variants of casual, colloquial conversation. In the North generally, (but with some other variations --"yinz", etc.-- noted by @Foxxee ) when people are casually addressing a friendly group, it's "you guys".

"You all" and "y'all" were tradtionally Southern, but if you frequent social media, you might notice that those terms have made serious inroads in people from other areas. I've noticed that when someone wants to gently "take down" someone else on Twitter, they will frequently begin "Y'all",.......", ha.

Ah, the nuances of language.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Oznell — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:12:55 GMT

I was trying to think of the British equivalent. Would the all-purpose "you lot" be the closest? That also has the slightly raffish, egalitarian tone of "you guys" and "y'all". I know for a certainty that in Canada, it's "you guys".

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

CANDLEQUEEN — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:28:40 GMT

I'm a Mid Westerner and its definitely "You Guys!"

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

lkat — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:38:44 GMT

Up here in New England it's definitely "you guys"!

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

MamaWick — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:52:01 GMT

Y'all...and plural is all y'all...🤣🤣🤣

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Boehm Collector — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:55:03 GMT

You guys ... I'm from New Jersey.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

jlkz — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:15:54 GMT

" Folks "....large or small groups ( waitstaff to diners, esp. when taking meal orders ).

I have gone back to managers in private and asked that waitstaff be trained to not address a group of women as " guys ."

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

ValuSkr — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:32:39 GMT

I would say "you" or "you all," I'm in eastern PA.

It's funny that English doesn't have a word for the plural of you. Other languages, e.g. German, do.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

tucsongal — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:40:19 GMT

Growing up in the Midwest it was “you guys”. After moving to Oklahoma as an adult, it became “y’all” pretty quickly. I worked with someone from Michigan once who would say “youse guys”.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

shoptilyadropagain — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:40:22 GMT

You all for me. My mom always said "youins" as in "Youins come back and visit again."

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

threecees — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:41:22 GMT

I'm in PA.

I have said several times You Guys, never Y'all. You never hear that around

my neck of the woods.

Re: You Guys, or Y'all? Next Door Study.

Lali1 — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:57:12 GMT

I love that certain parts of the country sound different and use different words. I also notice the same with the brits. They sound so much different depending on where they live. The different words used compared to other are fun to hear.
I have always said ya'll but I do occasionally say you guys.