Mom [OT]

"Takayuki" wrote in message
news
"Kim" wrote:

It ticks me right off when somebody calls me maam. It's like a old lady
title or something and I'm way too young for that! (29). Why does a lousy
title like that even need to be used? Saying "thank you" as opposed to
"thank you maam" sounds perfectly polite and respectful to me.

I was at a restaurant with a group of my friends once and the waiter --
likely in his late teens -- kept calling us maam. We started calling him
sir
every time he addressed us as maam, then we'd laugh cus he didn't seem to
know how to react to that. After the main course one of my friends said
to
him "you know... most women, us included, prefer not to be addressed as
maam
cus it makes us feel old". If you really have to call us something, how
about using our names." We did a roundtable of introductions and he
called
us by our first names for the rest of the evening.... he had no trouble
remembering them either. We ended up giving him a big tip of course for
respecting our preference not to be maamed.

I have a habit of sometimes calling women "sir". I also call groups
of women "guys", like "Hi guys", and "I'm going out with the guys". I
sometimes get some funny looks. Do you suppose that's okay?

Hey, you'd fit right in in Thailand! They always call women "sir". I guess
they don't know about "ma'am" or else they can't pronounce it. I like it,
it has a kind of Star Trek quality to it.
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

Marina wrote:

"Jeanette" wrote

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote

Like who? Who doesn't love the Geordie accent? It's one of my favourites!



I like it but I do have some difficulty understanding it. ;o)


Frank doesn't

Pam S.

"CK" wrote in message
...
JBHajos wrote:
We were raised the same way. Maybe I'm just an old fogy, but it
*really* ticks me off to be called by my first name by strangers, now
that I'm entitled to the honorifics. This was especially noticeable
in Florida. "But it's just being friendly." But you're not yet my
friend. Telephone solicitors starting off on a first name basis: I
ask "Do I know you?" (Stops them every time). Doctor/Dentist offices:
receptionist calls out "Jeanne" and three Jean(ne)s stand up. "I don't
know how to pronounce your last name." So mispronounce it; I can
figure it out. Grrrr!!!

Jeanne (the old fogy)

Here they don't do first names at doctor/dentist offices and I know,
when I hear something that could be close to my last name around the
time I had the appointment for, I get up and check if it was me they
meant. I have a tricky last name too. Can't even count the times I've
taught ppl how to type the ü (u with dots) on an ordinary keyboard, both
at work and even in offices where names are required.

I hear you on the umlaut in the last name. Before I got married, my last
name was Hölzl. Nobody could pronounce it when we moved to Canada, people
would call me Hazel or even Hoser :-( I was so glad when I got married to
Dennis who has such a *nice*, *normal* last name, Wilson :-)
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

Jeanne, you sound just like me. Even worse is when they call me by my
last name, military style. I always insist they either call me by my
first name, if it's appropriate, or my last name preceded by Mr. or
Professor. Children are never allowed to call me anything but Mr. or
Sir. My children were never allowed to address their elders by their
first name; Yes, Ma'am, No, Ma'am, Yes, Sir, No, Sir were the only
appropriate responses allowable to adults. Please and Thank You were
used a lot. Believe it or not they are in their 30's now, and thye still
talk that way.

Well, kudos to you. "Politness" is fast becoming a lost parenting skill. So are
basic table manners, judging from some of the kids' friends who ate with us.

Sherry

"Tanada" wrote in message news:uZq9c.2442
I hate it when people who don't know me, or are obviously younger call
me by my first name without my asking them to. The only think I hated
more was when a Doctor or Nurse practitioner would call me mom, or
mommy. I obviously had a first and last name, and if they didn't
bother
to check the records before checking the patient, it was a sign to me
that they didn't care much about their patient.

Pam S.

I have a friend that is 20 years my senior, in fact I have two. I'm 28
and they're both 48-ish. My husband is 33. And if they ask a question or
make a comment that I didn't hear, I'll say "Sir or Ma'am" in response
instead of "what". But then again I'll say "Yes" instead of "yeah" in
many situations unless it's super casual. I think the only time I do say
"yeah" is as in "yeah, I know" or other such agreeable responses to a
retorical comment. That might be getting to specfic though . It's
just... it sound much more polite than "what?" and it's quicker just to
say "Ma'am?": with my eyebrows raised and a questioning look. But I
don't make a habit of it since they are either my best of friends and
husband. I don't feel the need to stand on formality there. But I do use
it with all authoritive figures. And while we're on the subject, nothing
makes me shiver more than having a professor ask us to address them with
their given name. It just sounds wrong

Grace
who also made it a point to refer to Jody only as Sgt. O'Neal when in
the company of other guardsmen years ago.

"GraceCat" had some very interesting things
to say about Mom [OT]:

I have a friend that is 20 years my senior, in fact I have two. I'm 28
and they're both 48-ish. My husband is 33. And if they ask a question or
make a comment that I didn't hear, I'll say "Sir or Ma'am" in response
instead of "what". But then again I'll say "Yes" instead of "yeah" in
many situations unless it's super casual. I think the only time I do say
"yeah" is as in "yeah, I know" or other such agreeable responses to a
retorical comment. That might be getting to specfic though . It's
just... it sound much more polite than "what?" and it's quicker just to
say "Ma'am?": with my eyebrows raised and a questioning look. But I
don't make a habit of it since they are either my best of friends and
husband. I don't feel the need to stand on formality there. But I do use
it with all authoritive figures. And while we're on the subject, nothing
makes me shiver more than having a professor ask us to address them with
their given name. It just sounds wrong

Reminds me of a boss I had when I was in the 20-22 age bracket. I was
working in a 7-11, and the guy who owned that store was also a
substitute teacher in the local school district. I could *not* bring
myself to call him by his first name [although most of the other
employees did, and he didn't seem to care].

--
"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing
(or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL

"Takayuki" wrote in message
news
I have a habit of sometimes calling women "sir". I also call groups
of women "guys", like "Hi guys", and "I'm going out with the guys". I
sometimes get some funny looks. Do you suppose that's okay?

Sir is strictly for men. However, anywhere I've been, "you guys" is gender
neutral, so I suppose "Hi, guys" would be, too. I think if the group is
only women, "Hi, ladies," would be a better greeting. It's probably a good
idea to stay away from "Hi, girls," especially if you are a guy.

I know it sounds strange that people who object to being called "ma'm"
because it makes them feel old would also object to being called girls. That
comes from the older, traditional view of women as dependent or somewhat
less than men, hence "girls" is often taken to be a demeaning form of
address.

Annie

"Sherry " wrote in message
...

Well, kudos to you. "Politness" is fast becoming a lost parenting
skill. So are
basic table manners, judging from some of the kids' friends who ate
with us.

Sherry

Heh... Abi gets a smack with my open palm up against the back of her
head when she isn't polite. Yeah, I know... The smack probably isn't
politically correct but it is *the* classic southern reminder.

She's great about saying thank you, yes ma'am/sir and please. But she is
*horrible* at interrupting me when I'm on the phone. We're working on it
.

Grace

Heh... Abi gets a smack with my open palm up against the back of her
head when she isn't polite. Yeah, I know... The smack probably isn't
politically correct but it is *the* classic southern reminder.

Oh yes! The gentle southern reminder--and I think this one is a classic for
squirming children in church--is a thump on the head. My son sure got thumped
a lot. I'm sure he'll tell it all to some therapist someday.
I'm glad to see "children's church" catching on now..it probably saves a lot of
head thumping.

Sherry

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...

"Takayuki" wrote in message
news
I have a habit of sometimes calling women "sir". I also call groups
of women "guys", like "Hi guys", and "I'm going out with the guys". I
sometimes get some funny looks. Do you suppose that's okay?

Sir is strictly for men. However, anywhere I've been, "you guys" is
gender
neutral, so I suppose "Hi, guys" would be, too. I think if the group is
only women, "Hi, ladies," would be a better greeting. It's probably a
good
idea to stay away from "Hi, girls," especially if you are a guy.

I know it sounds strange that people who object to being called "ma'm"
because it makes them feel old would also object to being called girls.
That
comes from the older, traditional view of women as dependent or somewhat
less than men, hence "girls" is often taken to be a demeaning form of
address.

My friends and I always call each other chickie or girlie. Mind you, I'd
probably be offended if some stranger called me that!
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album