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actually, I had a lady check me out at the grocery store today, she had a Midwestern accent, she was extremely chatty. Kept talking about every food item that I was buying, trying to make small talk. This struck me as really strange. In my experience, Southern cashiers don't normally do that. They may make small talk, but it's not to that extent, and sometimes they hardly say anything. Maybe this lady thought that Southern people love lots of small talk so she does it just to fit in, or maybe that's normal where she's originally from.
Southerners seem polite but vengeful. I'm sure that's a stereotype that doesn't apply to everyone but that's the idea that I get.
That's about how it is with people I've met and myself. We'll strike up a good conversation and hold the door for you, everybody waves at one another, but if you wrong us we'll remember it for the rest of our lives.
I have only been to the south a couple of times, and it felt a bit strange at first that everyone was so hospitable, but I didn't bark at people who called me "ma'am." Even though it feels weird being called "ma'am," I'm not going to go and disrespect someone who uses that with me and goes out of their way to be polite to me. In CT, politeness here is minding your own damn business, haha. I'm more used to the reserved/aloof nature of the Northeast, which I like because I'm aloof by nature too. I can get annoyed if a stranger keeps hounding me with friendliness. It takes me a while to befriend people because I don't immediately trust them, but that's just me. Once I become your friend, I'm very loyal and would take a bullet for you. There's a lot of very nice people here too, especially in the rural New England areas and upstate NY, sometimes I like it and sometimes it feels weird.
Once in a restaurant in Maine, a waitress kept petting my dad's shoulder every time she came to check on us, and it creeped us all out.
Life here is just more fast-paced and people just want to get where they need to go. But "fake-friendliness" and "back-stabbing" happens everywhere, and I myself have experienced it all too much, which is why I try not get into gossip. Most of the time, I really don't care about it.
Last edited by Harmonica_Blues; 01-13-2012 at 04:48 PM..
^ Just wondering, do people up North not use "ma'am" and "sir" at all? Because I'm pretty sure when I've been to Northern cities, people in businesses, restaurants, and retail would say "yes sir/ma'am" to the customers.
The only difference is in the South, the customers also say "yes sir/ma'am" back, and people who aren't even in stores and restaurants say it to each other as well.
^ Just wondering, do people up North not use "ma'am" and "sir" at all? Because I'm pretty sure when I've been to Northern cities, people in businesses, restaurants, and retail would say "yes sir/ma'am" to the customers.
The only difference is in the South, the customers also say "yes sir/ma'am" back, and people who aren't even in stores and restaurants say it to each other as well.
I don't encounter it, but I guess if I did I probably didn't notice it. Once in a while I hear "what can I get for you sir?" when a waitress/waiter asks a male customer, but I don't think I've ever heard "yes sir/ma'am" unless it was to someone elderly. I hear "what can I get for you guys?" more often. ("guys" can mean girls too.) I have heard some younger/middle-aged people say they do not like being referred to as "ma'am" or "sir" because it tends to be a term reserved for the elderly.
But visiting down South I knew it was common courtesy to say sir/ma'am to someone, and didn't take offense to it.
In Kentucky, everyone seems very rage-filled, high strung and borderline violent. Apparently I "stole" a parking space at the store today and some woman got out of her Escalade and went off on me. I flipped her the ol' bird and went on my way.
I don't encounter it, but I guess if I did I probably didn't notice it. Once in a while I hear "what can I get for you sir?" when a waitress/waiter asks a male customer, but I don't think I've ever heard "yes sir/ma'am" unless it was to someone elderly. I hear "what can I get for you guys?" more often. ("guys" can mean girls too.) I have heard some younger/middle-aged people say they do not like being referred to as "ma'am" or "sir" because it tends to be a term reserved for the elderly.
But visiting down South I knew it was common courtesy to say sir/ma'am to someone, and didn't take offense to it.
I hear it with telemarketers all the time too, and I know most of them are probably not from the South.
In the South, I've found that it's not so much that you have to say "ma'am" or "sir", but just saying "yes" or "no" by itself sounds strange to people. A lot of times I'll say "yes please" "no thank you" and it's just as good as "yes ma'am" "no ma'am"
I hear it with telemarketers all the time too, and I know most of them are probably not from the South.
In the South, I've found that it's not so much that you have to say "ma'am" or "sir", but just saying "yes" or "no" by itself sounds strange to people. A lot of times I'll say "yes please" "no thank you" and it's just as good as "yes ma'am" "no ma'am"
I wouldn't know about telemarketers since I ignore them haha. I'm sure a lot of people do it to be polite, I just never hear it casually with strangers or people I'm familiar with. Just my experience though.
But I do say "yes please" and "no thank you." I do think just saying "yeah" or "no/nope" to a stranger isn't polite in most situations.
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