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(Green Ink) Has anyone noticed the new usage of 'Folks' by politicians and doctors? It appears to mean 'I have an empathy with you the general public (but really I have absolutely no understanding and a deep distain for the lot of you)'. I'm sure it works in the USA or Germany but in the UK it just sounds deeply patronising. (Green ink off)
Folks probably stress too much about it.
aloof distant type uses friendly reference to appear more in touch?
s/a 'hard working families' and other trite references to 'everyday people'
#weareallamericansnow
How does OP sit with ‘peeps’?
I remember my grandfather using ‘folks’ regularly. He was a Bredon man. He’d use sentences such as ‘Some folks don’ understan’ what they’m a-doin!’
I use ‘folk’ a fair bit.
Never ‘folks’ though.
Peaked in the 1920s, been in sharp decline recently.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=folk%2C+folks
I go to visit my folks. Is that allowed?
How does OP sit with ‘peeps’?
We've never been introduced but by all accounts she's nice
When I was still working I was encouraged to use 'folks' when addressing groups of people as a non-gendered alternative to 'guys'.
When I was still working I was encouraged to use ‘folks’ when addressing groups of people as a non-gendered alternative to ‘guys’.
That's cunning. That way you can be a none genderist but still a patronising git.
It's probably the people using it, but to me it flags up a sentence telling me to do something that the speaker has no intention of following themselves
I frequently get emails just addressed to "All," which really steams my goat. Would prefer "Folks" over that.
When I was still working I was encouraged to use ‘folks’ when addressing groups of people as a non-gendered alternative to ‘guys’.
This. I use 'folks' a fair bit these days as I habitually used 'guys' or 'ladies and gents' when addressing large groups previously. Though, oddly, I was (am) more than happy to use 'guys' to a group of (making visual assumptions) exclusively women so, to me at least, it has a non-gendered use as a friendly collective. But assumed intent is judged by the ears of the audience and all that....
Suggestions for alternatives that makes (some) people's teeth itch less? For reference I am frequently talking to groups where I know a minority there are who identify non binary or gender fluid and are not 'colleagues' so I can't use that (though I wouldn't elect to even if I could).
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