Using sir and ma'am to address people...

[c172]

Is that outdated? Is it underused in favor of "buddy", "bro", "boss", "sweetie"?

I was googling something unrelated and came across this old thread which debates this question. Interesting debate.

[SteelCurtain]

Nah. Not outdated.

I always say sir and ma'am when appropriate.

[The Industrial Atheist]

In the grocery store if I have to squeeze through some older ladies I say "excuse me ma'am."

[vorlon13]

I never use ma'am, but I use sir all the time.

Even on women sometimes.


The sir thing is from my years at the defense contractor. Wasn't required, but I fell into the habit and it seemed to help. One supervisor in 'cubeville' that I did not report to actually hated it. soon, others picked up on his dislike and rapidly, that was the only thing he was ever called.

sorry there, it was all my fault . . .


I did use Ms. there quite a bit. But never ma'am.

[J a c k]

Unless you're a kid who's friends with my kid, don't call me ma'am. I'll bite you. All my friends call me sir, though. I think it's cute.

[Jesster]

I have mixed feelings about it. I recognize the polite intent it gives off and it has been ingrained in me after time in the military. I'm also annoyed after having been called 'sir' often enough by people who can't quite get the idea that I'm trans through their heads.

[ignoramus]

Never really use it come to think it.
I am painfully polite out of habit though.
When talking to people, my first job is to get their name, then I use that to make it personal.

Even at the McDonalds checkout I say, much appreciated, thank you kindly.
Sick, huh?

[vorlon13]

BTW, in high school, while I was regarded as 'funny', I was not the class clown. Additionally, while was not in the 'outcast' group, I was far from being in either the popular, cool, or jock cliques.

However, at the defense contractor, in my area of 'cubeville' (and much to my astonishment) I was definitely in the cool, and popular cliques. My status was actually very slow to dawn on me too. On occasion, despite only having a 2 year degree (GASP !!) I also got feedback I could sometimes be unexpectedly brilliant. I once was evaluating a new mock up of a proposed piece of equipment the company was bidding and noted that since the mock up was made from white plastic, despite being nearly completely filled with mechanicals, it was still much easier looking in it and being able to see details as compared to an actual production item that would have been a dull and dark metal casting and seeing inside would have been problematic. Anyhow, the funny and brilliant part was, that was actually one of my job functions, evaluating products for ease of manufacturing and repair. I don't know if the finished product (or anything else they ever made after that) had a white interior, but once I pointed out the beneficial effect, everyone on the design review committee agreed I was correct.

I had a trainee at the time, and until that moment he thought our function was rather nebulous and undefinable. I could see the look on his face that I had taught him something unexpected.

And then my trainee started calling me "sir" . . . .

[SteelCurtain]

Yeah, I'm not ready to be called sir yet.

[The Valkyrie]

Unless you're a kid who's friends with my kid, don't call me ma'am. I'll bite you. All my friends call me sir, though. I think it's cute.

Yeah, but when they call you "sir", in their minds they're spelling it "cur".