Etymology: "guy"

Go to: Forums > Skills, Talents & Leisure: History

There are 13 postings to this topic on our Member website and this page runs 7 days behind our Member website. For the full topic click to sign up to OUTeverywhere.

Topic started by Martin T (mart2929)

photoI'm a food-loving, slim, walking, event-organising, low-tax-campaigning, pragmatically academic, internationally working, property investing, troubleshooting coffee-addict seeking friends and contacts. If you have suffered tax injustice that the system cannot solve, I'd like to hear from you.

A topic from Skills, Talents & Leisure: History

mart2929Wed 02/01/08 00:25

photo

I note from John O'Farrell's "An Utterly Impartial History of Britain or 2000 Years of Upper-Class Idiots in Charge" a footnote on page 177:

"Because of the tradition of making effigies of Guy Fawkes out of old clothes, in America the word 'guy' came to mean any scruffy man; eventually becoming slang for 'man'."

So, when us self-respecting, well-turned out, generally attractive and slight vain gay men refer to ourselves as "guys", are we being knowingly ironic, or gratitutiously ignorant of the history of the word "guy"?

And can somebody suggest how the Americans extrapolated a slobby man "guy" to apply generally to all men?

cantorWed 02/01/08 09:26

 

Not just all men, but all people, since you can hear a woman address an all-woman as "You guys".

There are 11 more postings on this topic on our Member website. For the full topic click to sign up to OUTeverywhere right now.

Similar topics

You may also find these other topics of interest:

Enjoy chatting with our members

6 month membership offer £19.95

Imagine joining a social network of people from all around the country and see how you'll feel a year from today. You're increasing your circle of friends. You're doing more of the stuff you enjoy. You're having a great time meeting new people in your area. You're seeing all the benefits of becoming a member of OUTeverywhere. It still feels great making new friends and every day you're hearing more and more about the stuff that everyone's doing. You're joining in. Now, that was easy, wasn't it?

We make meeting people easy. Click to sign up to OUTeverywhere and get up and do something different!

PLEASE NOTE: Events are listed on this website on behalf of organisers in accordance with the Terms of Membership of OUTeverywhere and only if they have chosen broad publicity when adding their event to the Member Events calendar. As such, events are not necessarily affiliated to or endorsed by OUTeverywhere and may not be organised by the person who has listed the event: the person listing this event may simply be attending an event organised by another person or organisation and may wish to meet other people sharing their interest in the event. The mention or appearance of any person or organisation featured on these pages is not to be taken as any indication of sexual, social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. We cannot guarantee that the information is accurate and recommend that you always seek to contact the organiser directly to confirm full details of any event. Under no circumstances will we be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on, use or misuse of, the information on this website.

Our Vision | Our Team | Privacy Policy | Identity Theft Protection | Terms of Membership

Chat and Meet People

Enter one or two words to tell us something you enjoy:

Or enter a postcode or the name of a place:

Latest Shout OUT

Broadcast to the gay world with our public Shout OUTs service! Post on our member website or from your mobile phone and raise your profile.

photo

Vitamin P (mrp2910) from Wigan in Manchester in United Kingdom shouts OUT: "i should be in bed"

Events Calendar

May 2008  >
S M T W T F S
    123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
       

This Topic's Tags

Members tag topics with key words to help us find similar topics.

Discover GMEET

Add all your web profiles to the new GMEET.com website profiles directory service. Supports Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn and dozens more. For social and business networking, web personals and online dating.

Contact us

OUTeverywhere is created and managed by Up and Doing Ltd. Copyright © 1995-2008. All rights reserved. Contact us by email to hello@outeverywhere.com.

OUTeverywhere