Plural of 'lad'; boys or young men, often used informally or affectionately in British English.
From Middle English 'ladde,' possibly from Old Norse 'laddr' meaning 'servant' or 'young man.' The term became a casual, friendly way to refer to boys and young men.
In British English, 'lads' is way more common and friendly than 'guys' is in American English—you'll hear British people say 'come on lads!' the way Americans say 'come on guys!' It's a cultural difference that shows how every region has its own informal speech patterns.
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