I often use the word people to mean multiple persons. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes people will laugh/smirk when I use it. For example, one time I was talking about how my sister and her family/household travel often, saying, “Those people travel a lot,” and the person repeated those people and gave a slight laugh. I’m wondering if I may be giving some sort of unintentional implied message when I use that word.

Does the word people mean anything other than multiple persons, such as a group of persons united by a common identity (family, experience, nationality, ethnicity, etc.)?

  • I'm back on my BS 🤪OPEnglish
    23•3 months ago

    she’s laughing at your generalization of “those people” as that can sometimes be seen as condescending or derogatory.

    Yeah, that’s what I’m realizing from the responses to this question. Thanks for pointing that out. Btw, it wasn’t my sister laughing. It was my supervisor at work that was laughing when I referred to my sister and her group as those people. Oopsies!

    • @RBWells
      2•3 months ago

      I don’t think you would use Persons as the alternative there - just “they”. My sister and her friends, wow they travel a lot!