When did "the lads"start to include girls?

Sleeper12

When I grew up in Dublin in the 70s we had lads & lasses. Granted lasses was rarely used but lads always meant guys & never included women.


Now lads can mean men & women. Has it always been like this outside of Dublin Or has the meaning of "lads" just become unisex in the last one of two decades?

Try_harder

Language evolves.

TheFarrier

Don’t you fnucking start...

2 hour blazing row with herself last night because she reckons one of my best mates shouldn’t be because she has a vagina...

grindle

Myself and my sister called all of our friends "the lads" when we were in our teens which is 20-25 years ago at this stage so it's been the norm for a long while.

somesoldiers

Culchie girls call each other “lads”

Lads are ye going to the gaa training
Lads are ye going to the macra dance
Lads gimme a hand rounding up these weanlings

Sleeper12

grindle wrote: »

Myself and my sister called all of our friends "the lads" when we were in our teens which is 20-25 years ago at this stage so it's been the norm for a long while.

I only noticed myself about 15 years ago. I found it so strange to hear my daughter say to a room full of girls "are ye right lads? Lets go."

PlaneSpeeking

TheFarrier wrote: »

Don’t you fnucking start...

2 hour blazing row with herself last night because she reckons one of my best mates shouldn’t be because she has a vagina...

Been there my friend. The best mate's mrs hates me - we've been mates for 20 years!

If I looked like Jenna Jameson she might have a point but these days there's a worrying resemblance to Mary Harney. I don't see the problem!!!!

Well, apart from me looking like Harney but what ya gonna do ?!!

As to the OP - I don't know, I've been going the match with the same group since the late 70s and have been one of the lads since then, so at least 40 years I'd say.

stimpson

July 19th.

Sleeper12

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

Been there my friend. The best mate's mrs hates me - we've been mates for 20 years!

If I looked like Jenna Jameson she might have a point but these days there's a worrying resemblance to Mary Harney. I don't see the problem!!!!

Well, apart from me looking like Harney but what ya gonna do ?!!

As to the OP - I don't know, I've been going the match with the same group since the late 70s and have been one of the lads since then, so at least 40 years I'd say.

I wonder if it was a country thing that's crept into Dublin in the last 20 years or so

Sleeper12

stimpson wrote: »

July 19th.

You got a year?

Omackeral

somesoldiers wrote: »

Culchie girls call each other “lads”

Lads are ye going to the gaa training
Lads are ye going to the macra dance
Lads gimme a hand rounding up these weanlings

*Leds

whisky_galore

In Italy they say 'ragazzi' (strictly boys/guys) but like a general shout out to everyone. So it's not an Irish or even an Anglophone thing.

Berserker

TheFarrier wrote: »

Don’t you fnucking start...

2 hour blazing row with herself last night because she reckons one of my best mates shouldn’t be because she has a vagina...

Did the best mate in question have a penis in the past?

fryup

when they started wearing trousers

D3V!L

fryup wrote: »

when they started wearing trousers

Next thing you know they'll be looking to vote and drive cars !! :eek:

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

I’m from the West and lived in Dublin before moving to Cork a few years back. Cork was the first place I heard women refer to each other as ‘lads’. I was a bit startled, so I was.

stimpson

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You got a year?

It was the same year Marathon became Snickers.

Beta Ray Bill

TheFarrier wrote: »

Don’t you fnucking start...

2 hour blazing row with herself last night because she reckons one of my best mates shouldn’t be because she has a vagina...

Get rid of her now (herself not your mate)

Unless you have kids, my advice is to get rid of her now.
Most women, despite all their talk about helping and respecting other women are don't trust other women around their men.

This row you've had with her will be a reoccurring event in your relationship.

Get Rid.

antodeco

TheFarrier wrote: »

Don’t you fnucking start...

2 hour blazing row with herself last night because she reckons one of my best mates shouldn’t be because she has a vagina...

Does she keep in the kitchen press or where? That must be fairly difficult to move around

OldGoat

Sleeper12 wrote: »

When I grew up in Dublin in the 70s we had lads & lasses. Granted lasses was rarely used but lads always meant guys & never included women.


Now lads can mean men & women. Has it always been like this outside of Dublin Or has the meaning of "lads" just become unisex in the last one of two decades?

Lads was appropriated around the same time they took the words :guys, dudes, fellas.
Retaliate by calling yer men friends babe, gurl or doll.

silverharp

the one that i find odd is waitresses addressing a couple or a family as "guys"

gozunda

somesoldiers wrote: »

Culchie * Non jackeen girls call each other “lads”

Lads are ye going to the gaa training
Lads are ye going to the macra dance
Lads gimme a hand rounding up these weanlings

*Fixed that for you...

Tipperary animal lover

In Tipperary everyone uses lads for either male female or both groups together since I remember, add in the hello we use down here and ya get WELL LADS, used to get fair quare looks off of people when I moved to cork first ... ..

Agricola

Ah come on now lads, settle down there now, settle down there now fairly lively lads

Faith+1

D3V!L wrote: »

Next thing you know they'll be looking to vote and drive cars !! :eek:

Don't encourage them!

Sleeper12

stimpson wrote:

It was the same year Marathon became Snickers.

It'll always be a marathon bar to me

Edgware

Sleeper12 wrote: »

It'll always be a marathon bar to me

And if you mess up the sink wipe it with Jif

WinnyThePoo

Outlaw Pete

Was a country thing first as Kerry girl I had a summer fling with back in the late 80's used to call her friends lads and when she said it around us Dublin folk we thought it was weird and so pointed at her and laughed.

Hear many Dub women saying it now though.

chosen1

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I’m from the West and lived in Dublin before moving to Cork a few years back. Cork was the first place I heard women refer to each other as ‘lads’. I was a bit startled, so I was.

Similar here. Grew up in the Midlands and encountered it first when I went to college. Mainly from Clare women in the form of 'Leds'

hatrickpatrick

I'd argue it started when girls and women began to throw off the shackles of the gender roles which prevented them from living life for the craic like lads. Most people of my parents' generation comment on how women my age are more laid back and casual about life in general than in their day, usually with a certain amount of derision particularly when it comes to sexuality and not wanting to have kids or get married.

Personally I just use the phrase "the crew" to talk about groups of mates these days, but that's purely personal preference.

elbyrneo

"Lads" - used at start of sentence to address the group you are speaking to. Group may have both men and women.

"The Lads" - a group of male friends. Term used to remind females of exclusivity. E.g. "sorry it's just the lads out tonight"

"Lads" and "The Lads" are very different things.

FFred

PlaneSpeeking

elbyrneo wrote: »

"Lads" - used at start of sentence to address the group you are speaking to. Group may have both men and women.

"The Lads" - a group of male friends. Term used to remind females of exclusivity. E.g. "sorry it's just the lads out tonight"

"Lads" and "The Lads" are very different things.

Ah the days when I was invited on a stag! And told - "it's just the lads, and you".

Highlight of the night was being dared to get a lapdance. They paid for the dance and I made 80 quid!

They're just boobs guys - if I want to see them I look down!!! Hers were better, obviously!

OldGoat

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

They're just boobs guys

Gasp! Take that back right now!

PlaneSpeeking

OldGoat wrote: »

Take that back right now!

I meant no offence and hers were very nice - stayed up by themselves and everything!!!

For the sake of harmony sir I withdraw!!

spurious

We had a speaker in to talk to the students one day about a proposed club in the school. He probably thought he was being hip and down with the kids, but kept using the term 'lads' referring to who could join the proposed club.

I could see the reactions of the girls in the room. The speaker was completely oblivious to the fact that they thought they were excluded. I had to interrupt him just before the end and confirm that 'you lads' didn't mean just lads, it meant everyone.

Sleeper12

Even the urban dictionary hasn't caught up with things. No mention of lads including girls.

Below is the only reference to include girls
BRITISH

a stable worker (regardless of age or sex).

"it's great for the lads that the horse has won the National"

Origin

Middle English: of unknown origin.

gozunda

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Even the urban dictionary hasn't caught up with things. No mention of lads including girls.

Below is the only reference to include girls
BRITISH
a stable worker (regardless of age or sex).
"it's great for the lads that the horse has won the National"
Origin
Middle English: of unknown origin.

The term 'stable lad' (or lass) is still in use here and indicates those who work in equestrian establishments and who are employed to take care of horses etc

The plural would be 'stable staff'

The colloquial term 'lads' as in "ah here now lads..." is a completly different term and is used normally when addressing a group of both or either sexes who are known to the speaker.