If it's acceptable to call grown women 'girls', is it acceptable to call grown men 'boys'? Why or why not?
by 
carpe manana
ANSWERS: 5
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It depends on the context. It would be inappropriate for me to refer to a coworker as a girl or boy. It might be loving for me to refer to my wife as my girl. Or, it might be degrading for her. It would be insanely unacceptable for me to say to the desk clerk at a hotel, "will you have that boy bring my bags up." I think it should be just as unacceptable for me to say to the restaurant host, "is that girl my waiter?" If my basketball teammate gives me a high-five in a game and screams at me "THAT'S MY BOY!" I would take it as a complement.
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I still think of myself as a "boy". I'm almost 30. I guess it depends on the situation. I wouldn't refer to my boss as a "boy". Somehow, I feel it's always appropriate (as long as it's ok with them) to call a female a "girl" in dating or romantic situations, regardless of their age. In more formal situations, men/woman should probably be used.
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In some circumstances, yes. A man can have "a night out with the boys", even when all of them are over fifty. In both cases, it is a lightweight, trivialising nomenclature. Appropriate in the context of entertainment, demeaning when used in a serious context (as is more commonly done with "girls" then with "boys").
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Call me boy, I dare you.
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I am 32, I am fine with the term girl. As long as it is not purposely meant in a derogatory way.
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