even in the cis world, its completely normal to call a woman a girl, i hear it all the time, my mom just talked about "a girl, who is around 50, she died" and I am thinking.. why are you calling her a girl.

men on the other hand, they are only boys for so long, usually around 0-15 years old, after that they are called "guys" or "men" it seems derogatory for any older guy to be called a boy

I was just thinking again. There is a big cultural and racial significance in terms.

In Australia no guy would get riled by being called boy. 'Ok boys lets get the work under way' But in the USA I'm lead to understand that 'boy' has racial overtones, which I didn't remember. Since it means nothing demeaning in our culture I did not appreciate it.

Cindy

Interesting Cindy,
what you relate fits 1 on 1 to the white SA English speaking situation/culture.

Must be the mutual colonial past :-)

So what are you guys up to? Girl to the other girls in a group.

Boy oh boy that was a disaster... one girl to another.

What's wrong with this, man? One girl to another!

Restaurant = Madam, and so does it in shops.

The things with males the just the same, as you related.

Axelle

Seeing as everyone underestimates my age by anything up to 15 years, I'll be happy to be 'girl'  , although what  Cindy says is true.

Karen.

Maybe it has to do with my dressing and going out as a child, not having it be a secret as a teenager. I feel kind of like I'm just not a girl anymore. Lady, that's better.

"Come on boys, lets get to work" would be OK, but "Get to work boy" would not because it's seen as demeaning.  And to call an AA male over the age of 8 'boy' you might as well cut to the chase and use the 'N word'.  Of course I call my crew 'bitches' as in: "Get to work bitches" or "Bye bitches" but only when it's all guys.  If I have a woman on the crew I don't do that.