Most women I know, when they go out together call it a "Girls Night" or my wife will say she's going out with the girls and these are all in their sixties. When I wrote my novels I had a hell of a row with my editor who changed all those descriptions and mentions back from girls and ladies, telling me that she was trying to make the books more saleable. I disagreed on the basis that I'm telling a story of true life events.

My characters were in Asia and the Asian women all call each other lady or ladies when speaking in English about another woman. I write my characters exactly as I hear and see them. Why on earth would I change that?

This is an unrealistic take, just another 'woke' expression. It is not offensive to the majority of women so why change them? I've never used it offensively and most of the women I see when out, if I talk to them I ask "how are you girls?" It would sound offensive more if I said "how are you women?"

When my pals and I go out we've always said "out with the lads," and we've been doing that since we were at school together. Why would we say "out with the men?" The wives would call us "The Lads."