Need to prove a point......help!

What age is the male ? If he is in his eighties/nineties then all is forgiven, if younger then "ignoramous" springs to mind.

Whatever the age of the male, girlies is inexcusable.

Depends what the group was like. If they were behaving like teenagers....

Don't care, really.

Not keen on'girlies' 'girls' is OK though

Whatever age the male is it is rude and patronising. The verbal equivalent of a pat on the head.

It sounds a posh way of saying 'girls' My friends husband is a bit posh and always says 'when are you girls going out for lunch'
To be honest it wouldn't bother me too much just sounds rather 'blazer and slacks' talk

Could it not be seen as an affectionate comment? I don't really see myself as a "girly" girl at the best of times (not even in my teens!) but I don't think it necessarily needs to be patronising or rude

Guess it's the same as women referring to mature men as 'boys' - even if they do behave like them. Neither is really appropriate but very common.

corner I'm afraid I referred to a couple of 70+ -aged men tonight as 'boys'. Well, they were sniggering in a very juvenile manner ...

I'm with annsixty

I had a GP who called me "girlie". I disliked it then, and dislike it now.

I think 'girls' ok..not that bothered (unless said sarcastically). But not that keen on 'girlies'.

There's a big difference between "being referred to as" and "being called". Being called "Girlie" by one's GP is ridiculous. Mine would get a death stare (which he's already had for a lesser fault). Referring to a bunch of giddy women as girlies is not the same as that by a long chalk.

Context matters and, apart from the ages of the women so referred to in the OP, we don't know the context.

Thanks for feedback-was very useful!! Thanks

iPhone gone mad-never mind, you can all have a second thanks!