is it just me?

[Nancy]

Is it just me, or is everyone using the word "folks" a lot more often these days?? It seems like every time I turn the TV on to watch the news (or anything else) I hear that word almost immediately. Then I hear it repeated again and again. Can we just say "PEOPLE"??

[RandomAnthony]

This is a fair question. I felt this way about "really" a while back. I wonder if this is an attempt to appear earthy and working class..."We're just regular folks" or whatever, esp. from politicians during campaigning season.

[Ken]

Taking Sartre’s observation, ‘Hell is other people,” at face value, I refer to human beings other than myself as ‘extras’.

[Nancy]

Ken: Haha!! "extras." Nice.

RA: I think I noticed that about "really" too. But the frequency with which I am hearing the word "folks" lately is "really" (sorry) getting ridiculous. It is starting to become as overused/abused as:
"absolutely"
"phenomenal"
and let's not forget: "AMAZING".
Thanks for listening!! :) (REALLY!!) :)

[Nancy]

RandomAnthony wrote: "This is a fair question. I felt this way about "really" a while back. I wonder if this is an attempt to appear earthy and working class..."We're just regular folks" or whatever, esp. from politic..."

You are right. Lots of politicians use it and to me it just sounds so phony. Unless they are from a state like Alabama.

[Kevin]

is it just me or is it when someone uses the term: "colored people" [did NOT do the fingers quotey thing] does it feel like the 1940's

[Jim]

Wasn't around then, but will take your word for it :-)

[Nancy]

Kevin "El Liso Grande" wrote: "is it just me or is it when someone uses the term: "colored people" [did NOT do the fingers quotey thing] does it feel like the 1940's"

Yes, it does. Hearing the word "folks" has the same effect. How about "colored folks" ?!?!?!? :)

[[deleted user]]

I use the word...sorry.

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

I use "folks" and "awesome" and "really" all the time.

"Colored people" sounds like they folks who were scribbled on with kids wielding crayolas to me.

[Jim]

Amelia wrote: "I use the word...sorry."

I think that using the word sorry appropriately is a good thing.

[[deleted user]]

Cheeky monkey.

[Sally, la reina]

I feel like politicians, especially those on the right, are using "folks" as an attempt to endear themselves with "hardworking folks of our country." Blah.

[Phil]

Each time a politician says, "the American people" my urge to throttle them is near uncontrollable.

"The American people don't want..."
"What the American people need is...."
"I trust the American people to..."

SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DON'T SPEAK FOR ANYONE BUT YOUR OWN DAMN SELF.

[Ken]

Phil wrote: "Each time a politician says, "the American people" my urge to throttle them is near uncontrollable.

"The American people don't want..."
"What the American people need is...."
"I trust the American..."

Indeed, this is a particularly idiotic locution. One imagines any given individual citizen hearing a politician ascribe a political position to “the American people,” and responding, “I’m an American person, and that position you’ve just ascribed to me is fuckwittery of the highest order.”

I’m sending the largest legally permitted donation to the first politician who says, “What the American people most desire is to put their heads between their legs and gratify themselves.”

And furthermore, spare us the coded reference, “working people.” Some of my 'best friends' are complete deadbeats, and their ownership of their citizenship status is no less valid than that of “working people.” In fact, there needs to be more laudation of non-working people. As the poet Charles Bukowski said, “It takes a real man to get by without working.”

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Yeah, I hear the "folks" a lot and it bugs me too. It's not just from politicians (Obama says it a lot), it's from media people too. I'm sure I've heard Brian Williams say it. It sounds completely phony coming from people like Obama and Williams, who I'm sure are trying to be folksy and down to earth, like ordinary Americans. (Brian Williams is a big Nascar fan too, did you know? I can't believe you didn't know that. Yes, he is just an ordinary American, a Nascar lover, who makes bajillions of dollars.) It only sounds natural coming from hayseeds like George W. Bush.

[Jonathan]

"Folks" isn't really a natural part of most people's vocabulary in my area. In New York we actually have another word starting with F that is often used to describe people in general, but it's considered somewhat rude. In any event, I always assumed that "folks" was used by people elsewhere in the country. The south? The southwest? Or is it just a complete anachronism at this point, used by no one except politicians and talking heads trying to sound like they have the common touch?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I think to some degree it's a regional thing, probably to some degree an age thing. I doubt a lot of youngins are saying it. So it will be an anachronism eventually, I suspect. Unless Palin's children carry it forward to the next generation.

I don't think I've ever heard it uttered along the Northeast corridor, except by people who aren't natives. I'm sure Obama must've picked it up along the campaign trail.

[[deleted user]]

"Folks" doesn't really make it into the Australian vocabulary either, unless you're refering to your parents as "the old folks".

[Nancy]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Yeah, I hear the "folks" a lot and it bugs me too. It's not just from politicians (Obama says it a lot), it's from media people too. I'm sure I've heard Brian Williams say it. It sounds complete..."

Thank you! My point exactly. Esp. hearing obama say it-it just sounds so contrived.

[Kevin]

Amelia wrote: "Cheeky monkey."

i love this term. use it often

[Nancy]

Misha wrote: "RA wrote: I wonder if this is an attempt to appear earthy and working class..."We're just regular folks" or whatever, esp. from politicians during campaigning season.

I'm pretty sure that's part o..."

lol! absolutely!!

[[deleted user]]

I lived in Texas for a few years...I'll blame it on that, but I won't stop saying it. Folks.

[Félix]

I remember once talking with a realtor in North Carolina. In describing a particular part of town, she said, "That's where the black folk live."

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Oh wow. I couldn't imagine ever hearing something like that in the western part of the country.

[[deleted user]]

Where I went to H.S. that'd get you shot...maybe just stabbed.

[Phil]

My mom (who had three kids) married a man with two daughters. Instead of always saying things like, "let's see what my mom and your dad would like to do," we use "folks" to shorten it up.

"Let's see what the folks have in mind."

[Jackie "the Librarian"]

Amelia wrote: "I lived in Texas for a few years...I'll blame it on that, but I won't stop saying it. Folks."

I lived in Texas for a few years, too, but I was already saying it. I used "folks" a lot the summer I waitressed at Denny's.

"What can I get you folks tonight" sounds better than "What can I get you guys."

"What can I get you people" just sounds weird. :)

[Ken]

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "Amelia wrote: "I lived in Texas for a few years...I'll blame it on that, but I won't stop saying it. Folks."

I lived in Texas for a few years, too, but I was already saying it. I used "folks" a..."

During my stops in Texas, the question was, “Kin-uh hep yuh?"

[[deleted user]]

Ken, Ha!

I had a roommate there who always said "pinch" like "peeench". So:

I say, "Kelly, what does I.N. spell?"
Kelly, "In."
I say, "Okay, what does I.N.C.H. spell?"
Kelly, "Inch."
I say, "Good, now what does P.I.N.C.H. spell?"
Kelly screams, "PEEENCH!"

Stubborn Texans...

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: ""What can I get you people" just sounds weird. :)
"

Yeah, but it's still better than "What can I get your people?"