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Glite Dictionary
you gal

you gal

6 9.9
A casual way to talk to a group of women or girls
  • other
  • Informal
translation icon : chicas
  • What shall I call you, gal?
  • you gal, let's go

Examples

  • "Thought I'd find you gals here."

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "Help you gals with something?"

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Seems to know you, gal.

    The BFG (2016)

  • Really, you gals are too, too much.

    Blog text (23)

  • If you gals have any other questions, ask Joel.

    Blog text (12)

  • Charlene and Jackie, you gals rock!

    Blog text (13)

  • Or on really racy nights, are you gals doing the pole dancing fitness classes together?

    Blog text (18)

  • Do you gals get together to watch episodes of Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy?

    Blog text (18)

  • Or what if you gals were just less "girly"—or less messy and leaving your hair ties and brushes all over the place?

    Blog text (18)

  • Will I be seeing you gals at the wedding?

Synonyms

you lot
vsyou gal
  • UK
11 8.2

To speak to a group of people in informal British English

is used informally but only for groups of females

Surface Forms

you gal main

Morphology

you + gal

The meaning is directly derivable from combining the second-person pronoun 'you' with the informal noun 'gal' (female person): it functions as a casual address to a woman or women. Although colloquial and sometimes nonstandard (compare 'you gals' for plural), the composition is transparent and comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both words and basic address patterns.

Etymology

You gal comes from everyday speech where gal means a woman and people use you plus gals to call a group of women. Imagine someone saying 'Hey, you gals!' to get attention. That's why it now means 'an informal way to address a group of girls or women'.