[Closed] Benign, unimportant question of the day. I hope anyway.

shorter, faster and implies a like minded group, is my guess.

Because I'd use folk in everyday speech.

I use folk because I cannot spell people reliably

Ermmmm it’s complimicated folks

Folk is a colloquial term where I live.

Gender neutral.

Everyday word for me too - Scots word for people.

Creeping Americanisation within the language?

while ‘folks’ is described in some dictionaries as ‘especially common in North American English’ folks need to read a bit further in the entry.

It’s a common synonym for people. It’s typical in the north of the U.K. ‘My folks’, ‘your folks’.

it describes the people of a particular country or area: ‘the folk of...’.

and it’s a common contraction for folk music.

my former Danish colleagues did get a bit confused when I used it in day to day speech. They heard ‘volk’. This has the same meaning and is the likely Germanic origin of the word.

As has been said, 'folk' is the old English word for 'people' and stems from Germanic roots. Hence Norfolk and Suffolk meant the (land of the) North folk and the South folk respectively.

It's just a normal word in Scotland.

First entry in Chambers

folk /fōk/
noun
People, collectively or distributively

Only some peeps do.

As already covered, it's a common part of the vocabulary in Scotland.

See also; aye, and wee (not boot/shoe related).

I use it where I might have used 'guys' or 'chaps' because it's gender neutral.

Isn’t ‘folk’ an indicator of locality/dialect? My grandfather used ‘folk’ (rural Worcs)

Black Country folk. Them’s always bin ‘folk’ as well as ‘people’ long as I remember. ‘Folks’ too. Them old folks knew.

Now, it might be, thet yow use ‘folk’ or ‘folks’ if either yow woz brung up - or else yow woz dragged up! I cor tell ter be honest. Or, if yoo’m troyin ter sowund like sum other folk. Sum as do that. Yow con usually tell if they’m purrin’ it on. This blowk cor mekkiz mind up ...

(7mins 35sec)

I use it as folk seems somehow more friendly to my ears than people.

I feel that if I say ‘Morning folks’ I’m including myself in the the group I’m addressing. If I use people it seems a tad more aloof.

‘Guys’ is an Americanism.

Americanisms aren’t so much ‘creeping’ these days as ‘galloping.’ With accents too.

I saw an old friend recently with his son. I couldn’t believe in just a year how much his (son’s) accent had changed. ‘Warder’ for ‘water’. Internet, innit?

Then:

-Fancy getting a takeaway?
-No thankyou/No ta

Now:

-wanna gedda takeout?
-I’m good, thanks

Ah, some people just like to brighten up their everyday chats by mixing up their use of words.

In don’t think we need to look for motive.

Seems like a weird choice of word to single out as a "creeping Americanism." I wouldn't have associated it withe the US at all, it was a normal everyday part of my gran's vocabulary let alone mine. Are you of them funny Southerners?

There's nowt so queer as folk.

North folk.

South folk.

Norfolk and Suffolk....

Was it not a hold over from the early days of the forum, along with the lack of sub fora and light touch to moderation?
One folk, one forum, one moderator?
Perfectly benign.

Cougar +1

Growing up in NW England and living in Scotland it’s normal.

As alluded to by Cougar, yep,a southerner here. In the SE for good measure.

Can honestly say that in normal life I can't remember hearing anyone say it. Perhaps I hear it on UK TV shows but didn't notice it.

Well, I have my answer now and rather ironically I've now remembered that I use the word "guys" on here, even "bud"... Though they are words I'd *never* use anywhere else in life.

I use it all the time. As a teacher it's a useful gender neutral, inclusive way of addressing a group.

I'm a relative southerner but with Scots family, so I guess that's where I get it from.

I never heard it as a kid in London. A lot creeps in from 2nd rate sitcoms like Friends (I was like, he was like, guys) and accents changed with Neighbours but I don't think the Americans brought us 'folk'. Whatever happened to the pompous and pretentious 'S.O.' on here folks?

Because, gadge, it’s used a lot in the north by lots of folk. I tend not to though even it being in common usage around here.

^^ Had to Google "gadge". Lol

😉

Lots of Scots and Northerners on here, tis common parlance up there.

Everywhere I’ve lived in England, ‘folk’ is completely normal. It’s old-fashioned if anything. Interesting to hear the same from people North of the border that it is in Scotland as well. What I want to know is… where in the UK isn’t it?

Preferred term where I live.

A lot creeps in from 2nd rate sitcoms like Friends ... Neighbours

You can probably add Buffy to that list.

It's human nature to absorb accents and phrases. There's probably some evolutionary throwback reason for it, being part of the tribe or something.

An ex-manager used to drop "in reality" or "going forward" like every third sentence when he was explaining things. They're both hateful meaningless non-phrases (going forward as opposed to what, changing the past?) but after an hour on the phone with him they're falling out of my own mouth for the next two days and it's a conscious effort to stop it.

(I was like, he was like, guys)

"I turned around and said... then she turned around and said... so then I turned around and said... " I have this mental image of people having conversations whilst constantly revolving on the spot.

FWIW I also use guys and have done for decades. I include all genders and variations of dangly bits with it.

I’ve been wondering exactly the same thing Poopscoop. It never gets used round here and at almost 53, I don’t think I’ve ever used folk instead of people, in a sentence.

I just assumed it was a regional thing.

What I want to know is… where in the UK isn’t it?

Never heard it used here - SE England.

Yup guys has I’ve also used for decades again it’s common usage around here.

Yup guys has I’ve also used for decades again it’s common usage around here.

It probably arrived with US servicemen long before your time along with nylons and pantyhose 😉

(thinks) I always wondered, when did they drop ‘gals’?

You guys
Pronoun. An informal, plebeian, All-American term used to address more than one person, without regard to the sexes of the addressees. Continually gaining popularity in this function as a substitute for "you," "you all," "y'all," even among the highly educated, and even among traditional people deep in the South, home of rival, functionally-equivalent term "y'all." May draw its growing appeal, which stretches across barriers of age, economic and educational background, ethnicity, and geography, from its apparent congeniality to the All-American ethics of superficial egalitarianism, aversion to pretensions of education, and emulating popular media and celebrities. Also may be gaining popularity among aging baby boomers as these struggle to maintain some vestiges of youthfulness and relevance. Presently, the term is partially and even fully replacing "y'all" in the communications of many Southerners, many of whom may be inspired by, in addition to the reasons given above, an insecurity about their accent and/or regional origins. Very formal or linguistically-fastidious people may be irritated when others use this term. Proud Southerners may view the use of the term by their fellow Southerners as a form of cultural betrayal, as a form of scalawag-ism.
Young-at-heart grandmother in Baton Rouge, speaking on the phone with her daughter-in-law: "You guys wanna come over Thursday night for some gumbo?"

Balding-but-youthful associate professor of English at an SEC college, to a half-filled classroom of students on a Friday: "You guys turned in some great essays, full of original and deep concepts. Since tomorrow's a game day, and since y'all've worked so hard lately, let's end class early. Also, I'm kind of hungover--hehe. You guys have a great weekend!"

I say 'folk' in my educated northern everyday conversation, but now thinking about it I'd not use it in a work document or probably even email of any vaguely formal nature. N. American 'my folks' means family.

Marra is much under-used.

Like other folk it’s just a part of my daily language and it sounds friendlier than people to my ears. Has a jovial sound to it. I’m from West Yorkshire originally, but can’t recall if it was in common usage there. Not the sort of thing I’d generally notice though tbh.
L

Errant neurons.
The same reason some folk own more than one bicycle, bonkers.

I always wondered, when did they drop ‘gals’?

please take that ****er’s face away, there’s time

Apparently we are considering moving towards 'Volk' early next year.