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Folks

Do you ever use the word "folks" to describe people?

Yes, all the time.	3 votes
Sometimes	5 votes
Rarely	7 votes
No. It's not in my working vocabulary.	7 votes

Benjamin Grimm Sep 08 2005 01:47 PM

I notice that a lot of people commonly use the word "folks." I'm going to visit my folks this weekend. A lot of folks like ginger ale. I feel badly for the folks in Mississippi and Louisiana. Maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker, and we talk differently, but I never use "folks." I did it once, subconsciously influenced by the people with whom I was conversing, and it fell so awkwardly off my tongue that I noticed it immediately and had to pause to gather my wits. In the past week, I heard Paula Zahn and David Letterman use the word on TV, and it rekindled memories of my awkward use. I asked my parents and sister and none of them use it. My wife, who never uses it, says she does. My brother-in-law says he does, but my sister hotly disputes that. Hence this poll. After you answer it, you might want to ask your significant others if they agree with your answer.

cooby Sep 08 2005 01:53 PM

I am an honest to god hick and I rarely use it either

Willets Point Sep 08 2005 02:13 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 08 2005 02:22 PM

And I grew up suburban Connecticut among the world's most pretentious people and yet I use it frequently. I guess I'm a folkie.

MFS62 Sep 08 2005 02:19 PM

I use it on sites like this, when I'm not sure if the readership ( or a specific person) is male or female. Its a handy, non gender-specific, collective noun. Later

metsmarathon Sep 08 2005 02:32 PM

rarely, and only in certain situations. somehow, for some reaason, i added it to my working vocabulary as a titular element in emails to largeish groups. f'rinstance, if i have to email a bunch of engineers here in armyland, i start the email with "Folks:" i blame a navy engineer down in virginia (downriver from DC) with whom i had been communicating for it. its how he addressed bunches of people, and i snatched it up, for some reason. i can't shake it now, unless i can find a better word for the task. its the only time i use it. i swear. interestingly enough, some buddies of mine always used to make fun of me for using y'all, claiming it to be evidence of my own redneckness. that and the cows in my hometown. i use y'all in the traditional 2nd person plural form, in my verbal communication, but rarely if ever type it. for that, i think i blame will smith, but i'm not sure. either from the fresh prince's lyrics or his tv show, i allowed y'all into my life. at least, that's about the only place i can think of as for where it came from. nobody that i had ever met up through high school, and probably college and the vast majority of my professional career, has ever had it as a part of their own vocabulary, and the only time i ever noticed someone in my presence say it while i was growing up was in third grade, when nora something-or-other mentioned that when she went down south somewhere over summer vacation, the people there had a funny way of talking, and instead of saying you, they said y'all. so that leaves will. otherwise, i am decidedly non-hickish. i wish i could figure out wherefrom i adapted d'oh i think i adapted "good deal" from the sidewalk in front of the taco bell i used to work at. what does it say about me that my vocabulary is so malleable?

MFS62 Sep 08 2005 02:42 PM

Thon, After listening to Army sergeants for two years (back in the 'Nam Era), I finally figuered out the following: "You mens" is singular "Youse mens" is plural. Is that still true? I was in the Army Engineers - I taught at Ft. Belvoir which at the time was the home of the US Army Engineer School. Later

ScarletKnight41 Sep 08 2005 02:42 PM

="metsmarathon"] i wish i could figure out wherefrom i adapted d'oh From The Simpsons, of course.

metsmarathon Sep 08 2005 02:47 PM

mfs62: no idea. i dont really interface with actual soldiers, and when i do, its typically majors and sometimes colonels sitting around a meeting room with a bunch of program managers talking about managementy things that bore the hell out of me but pertain to my program. the most military speak we ever get is a HOO-AH!!! every so often.

seawolf17 Sep 08 2005 02:55 PM

My dad uses "youze" all the freaking time. Drives me batty. I say "folks" and "y'all" quite a bit, actually, even though I've never spent more than a few days in the Deep South.

sharpie Sep 08 2005 03:45 PM

"Folks" rarely and "y'all" not at all. "D'oh" sometimes.

Rockin' Doc Sep 08 2005 04:34 PM

In descending order of frequency: ya'll - on occasion d'oh - rarely folks - very rarely youse - never

TheOldMole Sep 08 2005 06:38 PM

How about :"dude"?

metsmarathon Sep 08 2005 08:05 PM

youse - never. d'oh - all too often.

cooby Sep 08 2005 08:25 PM

You guys. Are you guys going to be home?

SwitchHitter Sep 09 2005 12:45 PM

I use "folks and "y'all" quite a bit. I usually say "people" when I'm talking but when I'm writing, I use "folks". I use "y'all" for the second-person plural. I've heard that correct Texan is to use "y'all" for the singular and "all y'all" for the plural but that just seems wrong to my ear. Another one I don't use is "coke" to mean any kind of soda.

Rotblatt Sep 09 2005 03:16 PM

People forget all the time that "folk" is plural already and the s at the end is entirely superfluous.

metsmarathon Sep 09 2005 11:29 PM

why would you call a sprite a "coke"? that just makes no sense. now, a cola - that you can call a coke. or pepsi. depending on your personal beverage preference.

SwitchHitter Sep 11 2005 09:58 AM

People just do. "Can I get you a coke?" "Sure!" "What do you want, coke, sprite or dr pepper?" Like that.

Edgy DC Sep 11 2005 10:31 AM

Boy's never been south of the Mason-Dixon.

MFS62 Sep 11 2005 10:51 AM

Does the coke vs soda vs pop discussion deserve its own thread? I remember when I was told by a flight attendant that Delta Airlines (an Atlanta company) no longer carried Dr. Pepper (manufactured by Coca Cola (another Atlanta company) on the refreshment cart. It was massive trauma. Later

ScarletKnight41 Sep 15 2005 07:36 AM

I never paid much attention to this before, but D-Dad is a "folks" user. When he addresses the parents of the kids on his Fall Ball team, he starts out calling everyone "Folks."

Benjamin Grimm Sep 15 2005 08:29 AM

I hope this revelation doesn't lead to any marital rift. If it does, I'm going to feel responsible.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 15 2005 12:47 PM

I'm sending the therapy bills directly to you! ;)

TheOldMole Sep 15 2005 02:10 PM

I've discovered, a little bit to my surprise, that when I includea cover letter when I'm sending out poems to a magazine, I start it "Dear folks...."

Benjamin Grimm Sep 15 2005 02:59 PM

This thread is teaching us a lot about ourselves.

TheOldMole Sep 18 2005 09:21 AM

And other folks.