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Is it sexist to use the word "girl" in reference to adult

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The word "girl" in reference to a female in her 20-s
I am a female and I use that word myself 16%  16%  [ 5 ]
I am a male and I use that word myself 34%  34%  [ 11 ]
I am a female, I don't use it, but don't mind if others do 3%  3%  [ 1 ]
I am a male, I don't use it, but don't mind if others do 13%  13%  [ 4 ]
I am a female and I think it is sexist to use it 16%  16%  [ 5 ]
I am a male and I think it is sexist to use it 3%  3%  [ 1 ]
I am a female; I have an opinion not stated in the poll (specify) 6%  6%  [ 2 ]
I am a male; I have an opinion not stated in the poll (specify) 9%  9%  [ 3 ]
Total votes : 32

SharonB
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15 Sep 2020, 9:31 pm

KT67 wrote:
I think in terms of fertility, there's a biological reason why female beauty is linked in with youth more than male beauty is. (Although for sociological reasons - we don't say 'male beauty'. Handsomeness then)

Darn, I just told my son today that he is beautiful (after a haircut). I was going to say handsome, but am sick of hearing myself say that and wanted variety.

KT67 wrote:
Rugged jawlines & muscles etc are attractive to a lot of people

There's a (heterosexual) study that showed that the attractiveness of characteristics (jawline, broad shoulders) inversely correlated with universal healthcare. No joke. In a country with poor healthcare (like USA according to the study) broad shoulders were more likely to be seen as masculine and the non-broad shoulders as effeminate. In a country with good healthcare, the non-broad shoulders were more likely to be seen as masculine and the broad shoulders as brutish. Sorting out the men from the "boys" (or guys).



Aspie1
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19 Sep 2020, 10:19 am

It's not sexist, it's just how English is structured: the word "girl" is a female counterpart of both "boy" (child) and "guy" (adult). It's equally correct to say "guys and girls" and "boys and girls" when describing a mixed group, depending on the age of people you're describing.

That said, it's more common to use the "girl" or "guy" in informal contexts or when referring to young people. You never see it in contexts like business, law, or politics; that's where "man" and "woman" are used exclusively.