Re: CHAT: "Mister" (WAS: Re: New Lang: Igassik)

On Tue, 24 Oct 2000, Nik Taylor wrote:

> Marcus Smith wrote:
> > But whenever telemarketers or bank
> > tellers talk to him, they use "Benjamin".
>
> I have NEVER in my life been called by my first name by a telemarketer
> or bank teller.  It's always "sir" and "Mr. Taylor", or at most "(Mr.)
> Nicholas Taylor".  Of course, I'm in the south, where there's still a
> greater tendency to use "sir" and "Mr.".  Interesting north-south
> difference.  In the South, it's relatively common to use "sir" and
> "ma'am", but I've noticed that Northerners sometimes get angry if you
> call them "sir" or "ma'am".  My grandfather, for instance, doesn't like
> to be called "sir" ("I'm not in the military!" he once said when my
> cousin said "yes, sir" - quite sincerely, no sarcasm - during an
> argument; of course, she's not exactly his favorite grandchild to begin
> with ...), yet, I will sometimes say "yes, ma'am" to my mother,
> especially when she tells me to do something.
<blink>  I've occasionally been called "ma'am" or "miss," and I've used
sir/ma'am myself, mostly when I was in Texas.  I don't know what you're
supposed to do in the North (NY anyway).  I'm always at a loss as to how
I should address my boyfriend's parents.  I usually get around it by
ducking my head in their direction when I want to talk to them.

One guy has called me "missy," but he does that to all women and he has a
bit of South about his accent.  :-p

In Korean this is actually easier.  I just go into formal/honorific
mode if the person in question is older.  All better.

YHL