What it means
Another go at a plural you, this one heard in Ireland, Liverpool, New York and across Australia. Youse does the same job as y'all, rounding up a whole group, but it carries a working-class, big-city edge rather than a Southern drawl.
Usage examples
"Are youse lot coming down the pub or what? Last orders is at eleven and I'm not waiting about."
"Are youse coming to the barbecue on Saturday or what?"
"Right, listen up, youse lot, the bus leaves in five minutes."
"What are youse doing after work then, heading ours or straight to the chippy?"
"If youse are nearly ready, get your coats on now or we’re missing the train."
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Where it comes from
It’s a straight plural built from you plus an -s ending, a form that’s been around in Hiberno-English since at least the 19th century. From Irish-influenced speech it spread and stuck in places like Liverpool, New York and Australia, where it became a solid everyday way to mean more than one you.
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