6 ms·

Can you elaborate on using "folks" instead of "people"? I'm unfamiliar with the difference as english is not my first language. For reference, to my knowledge

by taink 1y ago

Can you elaborate on using "folks" instead of "people"? I'm unfamiliar with the difference as english is not my first language. For reference, to my knowledge these words are pretty much interchangeable with "folks" being less formal I guess.

Macha 1y ago
Using the casual “folks” in a context that would ordinarily be more formal is considered a bit more liberal I guess.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
zahlman 1y ago
> For reference, to my knowledge these words are pretty much interchangeable with "folks" being less formal I guess. "folks" is indeed less formal, but there are other words in this category, such as "guys". The preference for "folks" is common among people who hold that "guys" is inherently sexist, and thus eventually becomes a signal of a particular perception of what kinds of sexism exist in the world and how sexism works. There are also those who believe that certain uses of "people" have become in some way or another problematic In print contexts, some even further use this to signal especial interest in issues related to trans rights, by spelling it "folx". That requires the additional explanation that the "x" comes from analogy with other neologisms such as "latinx" that are intended not only to affirm gender neutrality but a non-binary view of gender. Because the reader is expected to recognize this, it functions as a sort of shibboleth. Possibly useful references: https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/agozlt https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/agozlt ; https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/itiisx https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/itiisx ; https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/523419/ https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/523419/ ; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gendered-language-hey-guys_l_5f21b189c5b6b8cd63b0f331 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gendered-language-hey-guys_l_... As little as ten years ago, "folks" might have been judged as quaint or outdated language, used primarily by older people (https://hinative.com/questions/51383 https://hinative.com/questions/51383). It was largely repurposed for this social justice signaling. Also notably, you will find people with similar beliefs using expressions like "y'all" and other Southern US regionalisms, even if they're white Northerners. From my observations this seems to be intended as an act of solidarity. "Folks" arguably also belongs in this category.
- squigz 1y ago
  > Also notably, you will find people with similar beliefs using expressions like "y'all" and other Southern US regionalisms, even if they're white Northerners. From my observations this seems to be intended as an act of solidarity. "Folks" arguably also belongs in this category. This is uh... well, seems a bit of a stretch to me. Not once in all my years saying "ya'll" have I ever even remotely put it in this framing, nor have I ever heard of anything like this.
  - zahlman 1y ago
    I was speaking from personal experience, but see e.g. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211119-why-more-people-are-saying-yall https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211119-why-more-peopl... and https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5467295/yall-word-history-use-etymology https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5467295/yall-word-histo... .
    - squigz 1y ago
      I like when the news takes a simple trend in a community and blows it out of proportion. I bet there's news stories talking about how the finger guns meme is actually an act of silent protest or some such.
      - perching_aix 1y ago
        It's like the ok emoji being an "alt right hidden signal" all over again. Came across a so-far hopefully untainted, different memetic phrase yesterday: "millenial grey". The girl in her video [0] successfully identified that it is largely rooted in a 2023 media campaign. She then proceeded to feature two supposedly "completely average" friends of hers as definitely unbiased anchors, and held a community poll, also supposedly unbiased. Predictably, everyone knew what "millenial grey" was, and quickly agreed it was the worst thing ever. She even made a fun little browser-based pixel art minigame where people could customize a room with a number of colorful options, and an extra bland rendition of "millenial grey". I especially appreciated the false implication that your choices in dressing up a pixel art room definitely translates to your taste in real-life house décor; just like watching gangbangs on pornhub means you'd be interested in taking part in one, of course. Considering this was the very first time I've ever heard this phrase uttered, to see it being used as if it was something you learned after saying mum and dad as an infant, it was approximately the most living-in-a-bubble type thing I've ever laid my eyes upon. She somehow managed to socialize so perfectly tuned around this, she had absolutely zero chance of actually recognizing it for what she clocked otherwise immediately: a manufactured outrage over basically nothing. But then I do also keep my own - so far, rather short - list of political dogwhistles, so maybe I'm just being uncharitable with my parallels. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NyeK_Vi0Kc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NyeK_Vi0Kc
cantrecallmypwd 1y ago
[flagged]
- perching_aix 1y ago
  > Stay curious. You're certainly out to help them with that by not actually addressing what they asked, but nitpicking everything else to dust, huh?
- taink 1y ago
  Thank you for your input. I was familiar with proper noun capitalization (e.g. Moon/moon and Earth/earth). French (my first language) is different in that it differentiates language, adjective and demonym through capitalization (languages are common nouns and when used as adjectives are not capitalized), which is sometimes necessary because of how French sentences are structured. The more you know.

by taink 1y ago

Macha 1y ago

Using the casual “folks” in a context that would ordinarily be more formal is considered a bit more liberal I guess.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

zahlman 1y ago

> For reference, to my knowledge these words are pretty much interchangeable with "folks" being less formal I guess. "folks" is indeed less formal, but there are other words in this category, such as "guys". The preference for "folks" is common among people who hold that "guys" is inherently sexist, and thus eventually becomes a signal of a particular perception of what kinds of sexism exist in the world and how sexism works. There are also those who believe that certain uses of "people" have become in some way or another problematic In print contexts, some even further use this to signal especial interest in issues related to trans rights, by spelling it "folx". That requires the additional explanation that the "x" comes from analogy with other neologisms such as "latinx" that are intended not only to affirm gender neutrality but a non-binary view of gender. Because the reader is expected to recognize this, it functions as a sort of shibboleth. Possibly useful references: https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/agozlt https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/agozlt ; https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/itiisx https://old.reddit.com/r/socialjustice101/comments/itiisx ; https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/523419/ https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/523419/ ; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gendered-language-hey-guys_l_5f21b189c5b6b8cd63b0f331 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gendered-language-hey-guys_l_... As little as ten years ago, "folks" might have been judged as quaint or outdated language, used primarily by older people (https://hinative.com/questions/51383 https://hinative.com/questions/51383). It was largely repurposed for this social justice signaling. Also notably, you will find people with similar beliefs using expressions like "y'all" and other Southern US regionalisms, even if they're white Northerners. From my observations this seems to be intended as an act of solidarity. "Folks" arguably also belongs in this category.

squigz 1y ago
> Also notably, you will find people with similar beliefs using expressions like "y'all" and other Southern US regionalisms, even if they're white Northerners. From my observations this seems to be intended as an act of solidarity. "Folks" arguably also belongs in this category. This is uh... well, seems a bit of a stretch to me. Not once in all my years saying "ya'll" have I ever even remotely put it in this framing, nor have I ever heard of anything like this.
- zahlman 1y ago
  I was speaking from personal experience, but see e.g. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211119-why-more-people-are-saying-yall https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211119-why-more-peopl... and https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5467295/yall-word-history-use-etymology https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5467295/yall-word-histo... .
  - squigz 1y ago
    I like when the news takes a simple trend in a community and blows it out of proportion. I bet there's news stories talking about how the finger guns meme is actually an act of silent protest or some such.
    - perching_aix 1y ago
      It's like the ok emoji being an "alt right hidden signal" all over again. Came across a so-far hopefully untainted, different memetic phrase yesterday: "millenial grey". The girl in her video [0] successfully identified that it is largely rooted in a 2023 media campaign. She then proceeded to feature two supposedly "completely average" friends of hers as definitely unbiased anchors, and held a community poll, also supposedly unbiased. Predictably, everyone knew what "millenial grey" was, and quickly agreed it was the worst thing ever. She even made a fun little browser-based pixel art minigame where people could customize a room with a number of colorful options, and an extra bland rendition of "millenial grey". I especially appreciated the false implication that your choices in dressing up a pixel art room definitely translates to your taste in real-life house décor; just like watching gangbangs on pornhub means you'd be interested in taking part in one, of course. Considering this was the very first time I've ever heard this phrase uttered, to see it being used as if it was something you learned after saying mum and dad as an infant, it was approximately the most living-in-a-bubble type thing I've ever laid my eyes upon. She somehow managed to socialize so perfectly tuned around this, she had absolutely zero chance of actually recognizing it for what she clocked otherwise immediately: a manufactured outrage over basically nothing. But then I do also keep my own - so far, rather short - list of political dogwhistles, so maybe I'm just being uncharitable with my parallels. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NyeK_Vi0Kc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NyeK_Vi0Kc

cantrecallmypwd 1y ago

[flagged]

perching_aix 1y ago
> Stay curious. You're certainly out to help them with that by not actually addressing what they asked, but nitpicking everything else to dust, huh?
taink 1y ago
Thank you for your input. I was familiar with proper noun capitalization (e.g. Moon/moon and Earth/earth). French (my first language) is different in that it differentiates language, adjective and demonym through capitalization (languages are common nouns and when used as adjectives are not capitalized), which is sometimes necessary because of how French sentences are structured. The more you know.