What age does a woman qualify for ma'am? (adults, girls, female)
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as long as I am not called Late for dinner...
You may address me as Miss Nov or Hey Lady!
I've answered to many things....
Just glad they acknowledge I am a female. I enjoy knowing my gender ...and behaving in a lady like way.
You'd offend me if you called me "it" since this New Age of Gender neutrality seems to be all the rage.
My Step Mom was from the south, I loved How she'd call a Neighbor Miss Sue or Miss Betty. It sounded polite and showed regard. to this day when I speak to an associate ...its Miss Sue Or Mister Mike.
I think it used to be once a woman was married, but I don't thing that applies anymore.
Yeah, it stung to be "m'amed" but it is a polite form of address so there is no sense kicking up a fuss.
I think the term "miss" should be put to bed, and all women called "m'am" (if anything), because it no longer matters whether or not you are married.
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I'm almost 29 and I feel like I get addressed as ma'am more often then miss lately. I'm not sure how I feel about that lol.. I really don't think women should feel insulted by it though.
I've heard that some women see "ma'am" as a form of address that makes them sound old. To them, I ask two questions-1)What age would you be fine with/expect to be called "ma'am" (and how old would a woman look before you would use "ma'am" on her), and 2)How would you prefer to be addressed if not "ma'am," (and what degree of respect would you show to a woman too young for "ma'am")?
I'm pretty old-fashioned about forms of address, so much so that I find it disconcerting when someone sufficiently senior to me asks to be called by his or her first name. I will, and I respect their right, but deep down I'm very uncomfortable with it. It's not as unpleasant as shaking hands with women, but pretty close.
To me it's simple: anyone old enough to be my parent is Sir or Ma'am or Mr. or Mrs. or Miss or Ms. by default. Young persons young enough to be my children, if they were raised properly, would be calling me Mr. or Sir, but that is simply out of fashion and there is no point fighting against the trend of barbaric over-familiarity; I can't win and will only look bad losing the war, so I don't fight it. I will answer to my first name from a child...in my own good time, if it's convenient for me. Mostly. Maybe. Depends. If the child calls me Mr. or Sir, of course, I somehow notice immediately that he or she has addressed me.
One case in which I'll deliberately address a child as Sir or Ma'am is when the child holds the door for me. This is exceptionally civilized. I will look her in the eye, smile, and say "Thank you, Ma'am." If she is going to behave with the courtesy of an adult, she can be addressed in the respectful terms of an adult.
One case in which I'll deliberately address a child as Sir or Ma'am is when the child holds the door for me. This is exceptionally civilized. I will look her in the eye, smile, and say "Thank you, Ma'am." If she is going to behave with the courtesy of an adult, she can be addressed in the respectful terms of an adult.
My Step Mom was from the south, I loved How she'd call a Neighbor Miss Sue or Miss Betty. It sounded polite and showed regard.
Adding Miss or Mister before someone's first name is a great way to show respect, especially to a familiar person (like friends' parents or senior saints at church) while still reserving Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Dr (last name) as a more formal manner of address.
Started being called sir around 17. I've had people in their mid-to-late 20's call me sir (I'm only 31). It didn't sound like the kind of sir you use to address anyone. It was like they were calling me sir because they perceived my age (probably because of the way I sound) as older than it actually is.
Ma'am is a term that's rarely heard this side of the pond, but I used it a lot when I was driving a London taxi, usually to any female from 30 up.
I just asked my wife for her take on it, she said that she's been getting addressed as ma'am in the U.S. since she first started visiting there, when she was 29-31.
She said that she has no objection, it sounds okay to her, and that she prefers it to madam, which is frequently used by sales clerks for example in stores over here, to virtually every female over 21.
She says that it makes her think of "little madam", which is how demanding little girls are known here, the ones who expect everyone to do anything that they want, high maintenance if you will.
Being called "Ma'am" bothered me when I was in my 30s and 40s, as it made me feel older than I wanted to. I'm in my early 50s now, and that ship of offense has probably sailed. *sigh*
Seriously, I don't expect it, but it doesn't annoy me anymore, either. I occasionally say "yes Ma'am" to my housemate, who could easily be my mother. Started doing it kind of teasingly, but now it's a bit more sincere.
One thing I find absolutely charming is when children address women they know well as "Miss first name." It strikes the perfect balance of familiarity and good manners, and I love it.
I have never called a man "Sir." The few I have known who insisted upon it turned me off on the practice forever.
I've heard that some women see "ma'am" as a form of address that makes them sound old. To them, I ask two questions-1)What age would you be fine with/expect to be called "ma'am" (and how old would a woman look before you would use "ma'am" on her), and 2)How would you prefer to be addressed if not "ma'am," (and what degree of respect would you show to a woman too young for "ma'am")?
If there is a specific group of people you want to fit into, I would suggest observing their interactions. However, if the question of "ma'am" is for the general population, I would work on showing politeness or respect in other ways that can be applied to most people. And then if there is a specific lady, you can ask her what she prefers when she shows an interest in return.
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