How often is the word “yous” used when referring to a group of people?

32 comments

1. Never heard anyone say that. You guys, ya’ll, you all, them / they, is used but not ‘yous’.

2. It is exclusively used in certain regions, and that may be an exaggeration. I’ve literally never heard it, but my mom told be about hearing it in a Portuguese American community where she taught 50 years ago.

3. Lol! I don’t use it, but I’ve heard “yous” used by folks from New Jersey.

4. According to Google, it’s a Boston thing, but I’m sure I’ve heard people here in NY use it as well. It’s definitely a Northeastern Italian/Irish thing.

5. Where I live we say y’all

6. It’s a regional thing. I mostly hear it from people who live in Pennsylvania. Where I live, “you guys” is the preferred second person plural with just “you” also being used. If you head further south, “y’all” becomes popular and in some places “all y’all”.

7. You’ll hear it in pockets of the Northeast, but I’ve never heard it anywhere else in the country.

8. You might hear this in cities in the northeast that had large Italian and Irish immigrant populations.

   Not common throughout the US at all.

9. In my area we use y’all. If we want to be more formal, we might use you.

10. In Georgia and Texas – rarely. You’ll more likely hear y’all or you guys.

11. When I was a kid in NYC, I heard older men use the term “yous guys”. I don’t think I’ve heard it in 50 years.

12. I’m sure a lot in thenew jersey/New York area. Not so much anywhere else.

13. Never that’s a British thing. Everyone I know says y’all

14. I hace never heard “yous” in real life, just on tv. My mom’s side is from the south, so they use y’all, here in the west, you usually hear “you guys” or “all of you” or just “everybody.”

15. Never in my area of New York. But on a related note, “you guys” is used all the time here and is not at all gendered. I use it all the time if I’m with a group of female friends.

16. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used unironically in the Midwest. I always thought it was an East Coast Italian mobster thing.

17. I use it. It’s regional to the area around Philadelphia (and I think south to Baltimore and north to New York and Boston). It would sound weird to me if someone who was from my region or otherwise shared my regional dialect said “y’all.”

18. I’m from outside Philly (Delaware County aka Delco) and I know a lot of people who say “yous” including my Dad 🤦🏻‍♀️ example: What time are yous coming over on Sunday? Yous meaning me and my family.

19. Hear it all the time in Philly and Jersey. Definitely native to the general area (NYC too)

    “Enjoy ya breakfast, the both of yous” – south Philly diner waitress to me and my GF a while back. She went by Ange. I still say that sometimes.

20. I’ve only heard it once while working in NC. My coworker would say “yous guys” to refer to everyone. It cracked me up. I’m sure he found my SoCal accent hilarious as well.

21. Never hear it in my area- Tennessee.

22. Schuylkill county PA all the time.

23. For me, never. Absolutely never. Never ever.

    The only time I’ll make that sound as a single word is when I’m talking about multiples of the letter U.

24. It’s regional. I’ve never said it and don’t know anyone that says it.

25. I’ve never hard anyone say that other than Italian Americans on tv

26. Ah yes, welcome to eastern PA.

27. You will never here it in the Western US, unless someone came here recently from the northeast.

28. When ever I can remember to use it

29. I’m from South Philly so a lot.

30. I knew someone from upstate NY (Rochester) who would say “yous” and “yous guys” and passed it on to their kids who grew up down south lol.

31. We say Y’all

32. It’s regional. We do not say that in Michigan