Published Thursday, March 27, 2008 12:07 PM
Updated Thursday, March 27, 2008 12:08 PM

 

Inklings

Hey guys!


          When did we all get to be “guys?”  That used to be a kind of slang term for those of the male persuasion, such as in “Guys and Dolls.” No mistaken identity in that title.

          Nowadays when my husband and I go into many eateries, we are greeted by the host or hostess with the newly universal phrase, “Hey guys!” A waiter brings the menu and asks, “Would you guys like a drink first?” Then later, “How about dessert for you guys?” My sister and I are also often addressed this way when we have lunch together. Even our son will pop in for a hug, asking, “How are you guys doing today?”

          The restaurant people are almost always polite, efficient and young. I’m not offended: I’m bemused. Apparently this phrase has become a one-size-fits-all term. I’ve heard groups of teens addressed this way as well as a bunch of kindergartners. In the professional world, will a judge soon ask, “Now guys of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” Will President Bush address his cabinet by saying, “Well guys, now what are we going to do about congress?” Has this gone international? Will Queen Elizabeth look out over the House of Lords and query, “Can you guys coming to Buckingham Palace for tea this afternoon?”

          One wonders how these impenetrable word and phrase usages eek their way into our language. Take “now” and “well.” It seems impossible for many television news people to begin a sentence without using one or other of these words. “Well Esmeralda, what’s the latest word from the courthouse?” the news anchor will inquire. “Now Cyrano,” the reporter often begins, “Things are really picking up. Now the magistrate has made a dramatic ruling. . . “

          Maybe it’s because I help earn my daily bread from words, that I’m so aware of them – and actually awed by the vast amount of them available. Do we just get into bad habits? Is our society getting more and more casual? Will we someday be exhibits in a museum highlighting all these clichés? Probably not. It’s really nothing new.

          When my parents were young everybody was called “kid.” I have a friend in her late 90s who will still ask, “How ‘ya doin’ kid?”  “Twenty three skidoo” was a well worn three-word term in the last generation that could mean “scram” or “get out of here” or “going to have a good time.” Same with skedaddle. In my day the phrase de jour was “holy cow!” an exclamation of surprise, frustration, delight and any other teen-age emotion, which I spouted at least a hundred times a day, according to my mother.

Back to those “guys.” They seemingly have taken the place of “y’all.” We can’t have that. This is the South. “Guys” can be in every other place, but let’s don’t loose “y’all.” It’s part of our colloquialisms and our culture. There aren’t any “y’alls in California or Connecticut, in Ohio or Oregon. Let them all be “guys.” In Dixieland let’s take a stand.

          So ya’ll, like, I guess the straight scoop is that this too shall pass. Or, maybe not so much.