women vs ladies.

[soulfilms]

women and men are the basics from which we build.

[Alex]

I thought it was boys and girls from which we build.

[fuckoff]

wom?an ( P ) Pronunciation Key (wmn)
n. pl. wom?en (wmn)
An adult female human.
Women considered as a group; womankind: ?Woman feels the invidious distinctions of sex exactly as the black man does those of color? (Elizabeth Cady Stanton).
An adult female human belonging to a specified occupation, group, nationality, or other category. Often used in combination: an Englishwoman; congresswoman; a saleswoman.
Feminine quality or aspect; womanliness.
A female servant or subordinate.


la?dy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ld)
n. pl. la?dies
A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior.

A woman regarded as proper and virtuous.
A well-behaved young girl.
A woman who is the head of a household.
A woman, especially when spoken of or to in a polite way.

A woman to whom a man is romantically attached.
Informal. A wife.
Lady Chiefly British. A general feminine title of nobility and other rank, specifically:
Used as the title for the wife or widow of a knight or baronet.
Used as a form of address for a marchioness, countess, viscountess, baroness, or baronetess.
Used as a form of address for the wife or widow of a baron.
Used as a courtesy title for the daughter of a duke, a marquis, or an earl.
Used as a courtesy title for the wife of a younger son of a duke or marquis.
Lady The Virgin Mary. Usually used with Our.
Slang. Cocaine.


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[Middle English, mistress of a household, from Old English hlfdige. See dheigh- in Indo-European Roots.]
Usage Note: Lady is normally used as a parallel to gentleman to emphasize norms expected in polite society or in situations requiring courtesies: Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. I believe the lady in front of the counter was here before me. The attributive use of lady, as in lady doctor, is widely regarded as condescending and inappropriate. When the sex of the person is relevant, the preferred term for this usage is woman. The adjectival form female is also acceptable; in fact, twice as many members of the Usage Panel prefer female and male to woman and man as modifiers in the sentence President Clinton interviewed both ___ and ___ candidates for the position of Attorney General.