From age 8, he created museum displays at his home, explaining old books and paintings to his younger brother and sister. One day at his office, he received a phone call asking whether he would go on camera and discuss the value of a West Point uniform.
He suggested they get an antiques dealer, not a historian, but the caller insisted. Plenty of people, as it turned out. He returned to discuss such little-known objects as a set of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launch keys, a 17th century Dutch coin scale and the ID card from an attorney general in the Truman administration.
His fastest work came with a Civil War-era LeMat revolver. And how do I know that? After his research, Hall-Patton decided the pants were copies but the coat and bearskin hat were authentic. A viewer who knew the items later informed him the cap had been doctored. None had been; the letters turned out to be genuine. She said the two were embracing at an airport after a long absence when someone tapped her husband on the shoulder. Still, Hall-Patton stays humble. John M. He covered a large swath of the American West, writing about everything from people to politics.
He has also written extensively about California. It was a subtle but undeniable way of calling out my word choice. There were five women in the mixed-gender group I was addressing. So why did I — and so many of us — use "guys" to address mixed-gender groups?
The term "guys" found its way into the Australian lexicon around the s via American television and radio programs. Alison Moore, chief editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, explains that it's mostly used as a colloquialism by the younger generations to refer to both men and women.
Ms Moore says it wasn't borne out of a "patriarchal context", unlike other terms now widely recognised as exclusionary or sexist — such as "chairman" or "mankind". The term "guys" was originally a reference to British historical figure Guy Fawkes, but in the mids it began being used in the United States to mean 'men' generally. Linguist John Hajek, from The University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics, says the term doesn't always mean "males in the plural" nowadays, but he acknowledges others take a different view.
Critics argue the term is sexist because, while claiming to be gender-neutral, it actually positions men as the "default" after all, "guy" in the singular invariably means "male".
For women in male-dominated industries particularly, "guys" can reinforce their sense of being in the minority. Felicity Young, a receptionist in the automotive industry, explains the use of "guys" has become the default at her workplace: "It annoyingly does become ingrained," she says.
Jessian Choy, a public speaker focused on inclusive language and environmentalism, has compiled thousands of tweets showing how the phrase can inadvertently make women feel invisible when used in phrases such as, "This app was built by the guys at For some, debating the phrase "guys" sits at the bottom of a list of priorities in the struggle for positive social change.
Lucy Tatman, coordinator of the gender studies program and senior lecturer at The University of Tasmania, says there are more pressing issues, such as domestic violence, sexist language and "slut-shaming" language — which she says has been used by some politicians across the political spectrum — and penalty rate cuts that disproportionately affect women.
Ms Choy challenges that view, saying the use of "guys" is part of a larger structure of exclusion facing women. It's clearly a divisive topic. It happened to me last year pre-pandemic when I passed a group of female colleagues in the hallway. This is especially important in the workplace where inclusive language can help women and nonbinary people feel welcome. Also, consider finding a like-minded colleague who can help by speaking to individuals on your behalf, and vice versa.
Amy Diehl , PhD is chief information officer at Wilson College and an expert on gender bias in the workplace. Find her on Twitter amydiehl. Events Innovation Festival. Follow us:. By Amy Diehl 5 minute Read.
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