I mean sugar tits I can understand...but Ma'am?Really???
shareThere was an older guy who worked with my wife 20 years ago and he used to call all the women 'dear' and sweetheart'. He didn't mean any harm but he was stuck in the 1950s.
shareI call ladies dear...darling..sweetheart...honey bunch. They don't seem to mind. Maybe they are secretly licking my donuts😡
shareI've never used prefixes vocally. I especially wouldn't nowadays with the crazies saying there are 200 genders and all that bunkum. I'm worried I might give one of them PTSD by getting their prefix wrong.
shareWithout thinking, I will often blurt out, "yes, ma'am." I don't think about it much and catch myself saying it to women who are much younger than myself. I never get the impression anyone cares one way or the other.
shareSame here...I say it...no dagger eyes...but the ladies love me...soooo😉
shareHere in the UK and possibly in Europe, the phrase can also have a different conotation.
I remember a woman being really offended by being referred to as Ma'am, and I mean really insulted. When she calmed down and I asked her why she was so upset, she said because as far as she was concerned the title is short for Madam, and to her a Madam is a woman who runs a brothel.
It's probably rare anyone would react like that now, but at one time...
Older black men often refer to vagina as cock...nothing surprises me anymore😂
shareIt's only happened to me once, about 27 years ago but I remember it well. I was at the doctors with a horrible rash and he said "You've got Chicken Pox ma'am"
It was unusual as he was English but it didn't bother me in the slightest, in fact I thought it was rather quaint.
Personally, I can't understand what all the fuss is. I always considered it a sign of respect even when I was in my 20s. Now that I'm in my 60s, I'm certainly not going to complain about it making me sound old!
I can understand why it surprised you... not just the Ma'am. Chicken Pox is always a surprise!😳
It's used in retail jobs a lot, and much like "ladies and gentlemen", is meant to show respect.
"Sir, you left behind your bag." "Ma'am, we can help you over here."
I agree, the "ma'am" sounds very outdated and wrong to say to someone only 20 ("Sir" seems fine to say to any male). But I can't really think of any other good alternatives. We might need to invent them.
Because just saying "Hey, your bag is over there" can sound passive-aggressive even if you don't mean it that way. Makes the employee sound derisive and less professional. Amazing what one word (or lack of a word) can do to a sentence.
I like this relpy👍 you are one of the few that see it as respect of friendliness...rather than high insult.
shareHaha
share