"you people"

abc   Thu May 17, 2007 11:43 pm GMT
I was introducing an event one night when I addressed the audience saying, "you people" (I think I was saying "if you people have any questions do not hesitate to ask")
Then I got a note from somebody saying that it was impolite to use the term "people."
And today, I was writing a donation-request letter. In it, I said, "with the generous support from people like you." My friend, who was editing the letter, called it rude and change it to"from individuals like yourself."
What's your stance on using the term "people" in professional gatherings and letters?
I hate spam   Fri May 18, 2007 12:00 am GMT
>>I was introducing an event one night when I addressed the audience saying, "you people" (I think I was saying "if you people have any questions do not hesitate to ask") <<

I have to say myself to say that the use of "you people" is often rather rude, and in formal contexts I would rather use something like "any of you" (in the case that you mention) and in informal contexts I would probably use "you guys".

>>Then I got a note from somebody saying that it was impolite to use the term "people."
And today, I was writing a donation-request letter. In it, I said, "with the generous support from people like you." My friend, who was editing the letter, called it rude and change it to"from individuals like yourself."<<

In this case, though, I would have to say that your use of "people like you" here was not impolite at all, and that "individuals like yourself" is quite unwieldy-sounding; rather, it is just constructions like "you people", "these people", and "those people" itself which are often quite rude in practice.
Travis   Fri May 18, 2007 12:01 am GMT
Whoops, that should have been "Travis" not "I hate spam".
O'Bruadair   Fri May 18, 2007 12:43 am GMT
you people?

you guys?

Dang it, where are y'all from? Ain't y'all never heard of y'all?

May not be in Mr. Webster's dictionary and some PC folks may think it “too Southern” but y’all sure comes in handy sometimes.

Don’t y’all agree?
Guest   Fri May 18, 2007 12:52 am GMT
Where I live, only black people say "y'all".
Travis   Fri May 18, 2007 1:09 am GMT
>>Dang it, where are y'all from? Ain't y'all never heard of y'all?<<

At least here, if you do not speak AAVE, the word is not "y'all" but rather "you guys", which is specifically used in everyday speech as a second person plural pronoun.
Lazar   Fri May 18, 2007 1:11 am GMT
<<Then I got a note from somebody saying that it was impolite to use the term "people.">>

Yeah, I think you should avoid saying "you people". This phrase is considered especially rude when it's used in reference to a social or ethnic group (for example, if you're talking to a black person and you use the term "you people" to refer to all black people); but even in a general context, referring to the members of an audience, it still seems a bit rude.

<<In it, I said, "with the generous support from people like you." My friend, who was editing the letter, called it rude and change it to"from individuals like yourself.">>

No, your friend is wrong. The phrase "people like you", at least when used as an object (rather than a subject) as in this case, does not have offensive connotations. Your friend's suggestion is simply an awkward rewording. (I would add that "yourself" sounds unnecessary here, and too colloquial.)
Josh Lalonde   Fri May 18, 2007 1:21 am GMT
I was going to start another thread, but this one seems to be heading the right way anyway. How do you (2nd plur) form the possessive of your 2nd person plural pronoun? In my dialect, we have "you guys", but "you guys's" /ju gaIzIz/ sounds awkward, and "your guys" definitely doesn't occur. I sometimes use the subject pronoun itself, like "Is that you guys house?" More often though, I just use "your", though of course the singular/plural distinction is lost.
willy   Fri May 18, 2007 1:25 am GMT
abc,

Using "you people" in that context makes you seem rather superior and arrogant to your audience.
Lazar   Fri May 18, 2007 1:38 am GMT
For the plural subjective and objective, I think I usually say "you guys" or "you all". For the possessive, though, I think I usually just say "your".

<<I sometimes use the subject pronoun itself, like "Is that you guys house?">>

I think that's actually consistent with how plural possessives are formed. For example, "the horses' feet" or "the citizens' duty". (Of course, aside from unambiguous cases like "people's" and "women's", I think plural possessives are pretty rare.) So graphically, I think that would be "you guys' house".
Guest   Fri May 18, 2007 1:44 am GMT
In California, it's common to say "your guys'" for the possessive.
furrykef   Fri May 18, 2007 2:50 am GMT
"Individuals like you" would be better than "individuals like yourself" (it's more "grammatically correct" from a prescriptionist standpoint, and it saves a syllable). But I don't think "people like you" should be a problem, only "you people". And I don't really think it's rude, just colloquial, but perhaps more colloquial than the situation called for. It can vary from dialect to dialect, too...

One caveat, though: I would use "you people" only to refer to a specific group of people, and not a broad, general group (such as using the phrase "you people" to refer to black people in general when talking to a black person). Other than that, it should be fine in colloquial speech.

- Kef
Travis   Fri May 18, 2007 3:05 am GMT
I myself primarily use "your" [jO:R] and "yours" [jO:Rs] for the possessive determiner and genitive forms of "you guys" rather than "you guys's" ["ju:ga:IzI:s], but in informal speech I will occasionally use "you guys'" ["ju:ga:Is] as well. for the possessive determiner and genitive forms of "you guys".
Damian in Edinburgh   Fri May 18, 2007 7:43 am GMT
I can't see how the use of "you people" is impolite in any way, in any context.......but there again I am British. We tend to view a lot of things quite differently over here.
Shatnerian   Fri May 18, 2007 12:48 pm GMT
I always say "you guys", even if the group is entirely female. However, I think if I were in that particular situation, I would have said, "if anyone has any questions, do not hesitate to ask.")

In the Pacific Northwest, it is also common to say "your guys" for the possessive. As in, "can I use your guys's phone for a minute?"

I know that the term "y'all" is common in the Southeastern United States, where it apparently originated. However, since my accent is pretty much the opposite of a Southern accent, it would come across as sounding incredibly odd.