Which "courtesy titles" do you hate?

[Trigger Hippie]

Someone called me "lady" this morning and, for some reason, it bugged me. I, sir, am no lady. :) So, which ones bug you?


:hi:

[StopTheMorans]

1. "hey shit-for-brains"

:grr:

[Left Is Write]

2. Yeah, that one always chaps my hide too.

[Redstone]

35. What's wrong with that? I'm kinda flattered when I hear it.

It's as American as can be.

Redstone

PS: That was goddaam funny. Thanks for the laugh.

[SW FL Dem]

3. Ma'am

It made me feel really old the first time someone called me Ma'am.

[Trigger Hippie]

12. Yeah,

I hate ma'am too. I'm too young for that dammit!!!!


:)

[Shell Beau]

30. I feel the need to say ma'am and sir,

since it it a respect thing in the south. I, on the other hand, do not want to be called ma'am at least until I am in my 30's. I don't call people ma'am or sir unless they are considerably older than I am.

[Left Is Write]

31. The title ma'am really has nothing to do with age, though people

often feel like it does.

[Shell Beau]

36. I know, but as a child (in the South anyway) we were

taught to say ma'am and sir to adults and it just sticks with you as you get older. I know 50 year old people who use those terms with people older than they.

[Patiod]

46. It is truly regional - makes me very uncomfortable

a lot of "sirs" or "ma'ams" make me uncomfortable - I'm sure Southerner think we're horribly rude for not training our kids to say that, but to some of us, it sounds kind of servile. To other ears, it simply sounds respectful. All depends how you wuz raised!

[Patiod]

47. deleted double post

[Trigger Hippie]

33. That's a good rule of thumb.

:)

[philosophie_en_rose]

49. Ma'am is terrible.

It's for old ladies. And I'm neither. :P

[eyesroll]

4. I got called "young girl" in an office-supply store once.

I was 21. Didn't appreciate that.

Now, at 29, I don't get "young girl" anymore. I hate "miss." I'm OK with "m'am" most of the time, except when it was the teenage girl at Bath and Body Works trying to sell me stuff to obliterate the lines around my eyes.

[aden_nak]

10. You prefer ma'am to miss?

[eyesroll]

23. Yep.

"Miss" just sounds...I don't know...too young to me. (I realize that it doesn't work that way for everyone, and I'm happy to call others "miss" if they so desire.)

Then again, I was a little adult when I was 12.

[Left Is Write]

28. If someone called me Miss, I would think they were trying to flatter me.

[aden_nak]

41. To me, Ma'am is someone that needs help crossing the street.

Though maybe that's a regional thing.

[Amelie]

55. A Judge called me "lil' lady" once

When I first started practicing law. Looking back, I was probably losing my cool a bit; I was only about 25; he and opposing counsel were probably mid-50s, and had clearly known each other since childhood. It was getting frustrating. Anyway, in a deeeeeeeeeep southern drawl he said, "Nah Lil Lady; thar izzn'any need to be getting all feisty. We ahll friends in heahr" He and opposing counsel got a good giggle out of it.

Home cooking in the court room. Gotta love it.

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. A cashier at Wendy's called me "dog" once- but I thought it was cool.

It was cool, a lily-white guy like myself, being someone's dog.

[MindPilot]

25. I think that's "dawg"

but then I'm so white I can get moonburn so I could be wrong.

Edit: spelling

[asthmaticeog]

6. I think these are largely specific to guitar stores, but:

"Hey, chief!"
"Hey, guy!"
"Hey, buddy!"
"Hey, bro!"

[aden_nak]

11. How about "Hey, bub!" I kind of like bub for some reason.

[asthmaticeog]

14. "Bub" sounds like a Philly/Jersey thing.

Maybe it's not in the training manual's list of appropriately dudelike greetings for the *midwest* Guitar Centers? :shrug:

[aden_nak]

39. Well, I am from Jersey, so perhaps that's the case.

I hear a lot more "Bub" now that those X-Men movies came out. I think Hugh Jackman said it once and now it's hip or something.

[Trigger Hippie]

15. I had a friend

who called everyone "chief"; he wasn't very popular...

[MindPilot]

7. Cracker

I hate when people call me that; it's MASSA Cracker, yo. :silly:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. LMAO

:spray: :rofl: :hide: That's bad. REALLY bad.

[kedrys]

8. Pet peeve: Hey!

I sometimes have to remind the s.o. that I have a damn name, so use it, dammit!

[terrya]

9. self delete

[hobbit709]

13. Don't call me "Sir"

My parents were married.

[Texasgal]

17. I hate "MISS"

Hey "MISS"..... "MISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS" I hate that shit.

[Double T]

18. "Mr.", "Sir"

[mondo joe]

19. Your Lordship

A simple bow will do.

[Trigger Hippie]

20. I also hate

"dear" and "sweetheart", but don't mind "boo." For some reason

:shrug:

[tyedyeto]

21. Toots

[Trigger Hippie]

22. Ick.

I hadn't thought of that one. That is so "Mel's Diner."

:o

[tyedyeto]

26. Had an almost 30 guy at work call me that

right after I became his boss. Told him he was about to get his ass fired if he ever called me that again. Never heard him call me that since.

[Trigger Hippie]

27. What a jerk!

Good for you!!

:)

[tyedyeto]

29. He's actually okay

he just thought he was being cute or something. But he won't do that again.

[Left Is Write]

32. Toots isn't a courtesy title, though.

It's pretty patronizing.

[Xithras]

63. Does anyone actually still use that?

The last guy I heard use that one was my moms hairy, mullet headed ex-boyfriend 20+ years ago. I thought that term had died out :shrug:

[quisp]

24. I hate "Your Majesty"

I much prefer Sire; simple and elegant.

[radwriter0555]

34. Madame, M' Lady are fine for me. I like being referred to with

respect actually, and I use Madame and lady when addressing or referring to a female stranger, and "gentleman" and "sir" when addressing or referring to male strangers.

I have a title actually... recently acquired, and not sure how to actually use it. So far it looks nice on my Mileage Plus card.

[Chovexani]

37. "Young lady"

Sorry, I prefer "Mistress" :P

[prole_for_peace]

38. "broad"

i had a cashier call me "boo" and there was a service station owner that called every woman that went there "baby". he was middle-eastern and i always thought maybe someone played a joke on him and told him that is how american women like to be addressed. he say things like "it was only a blown fuse, baby."

[Trigger Hippie]

42. Boo is very popular

where I grew up. I like it because it makes me think of nice old Cajun women calling me boo. *Warm and fuzzy*

[prole_for_peace]

43. i liked it when she called me that.

she was so friendly and that just made me feel welcome. even if it was a wal-mart before i boycotted them.

[NoSheep]

40. Don't you Ma'am ME!!!!!

:P

[Ron Green]

44. "Chief" rather chaps my ass.

I think it's usually disrespectful, spoken to anyone but one's own boss, and of course Native Americans would have a definite complaint about it.

[Xithras]

65. Chief is a European word, not Native American.

It's descended from the old Latin word for "head", and has been used to describe the head of a group for millenia. It was white settlers who began the practice of referring to a Native American tribal head as the "Chief".

[Ron Green]

73. My point exactly.

[RedCloud]

45. Not a title, but "hunk" annoys me.

If opinions can be formulated so quickly, how will I convince them that monosyllabic lifestyles are so offensive to me?

[CubsFan1982]

48. Earl of Shropshire kinda pisses me off.

I get that ALL the time! :P

[philosophie_en_rose]

50. Missy! Little Missy!

"Miss" is okay. "Ma'am" is barely tolerable. However, I can not tolerate being called "Missy" or "Little Missy."



:mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :mad: :grr:

[GalleryGod]

51. I Guess I'm the Last Dinosaur of Civility.

:crazy: I would've never even thought of such a term as "courtesy titles":silly:

After Mom + Prep School + military = "Sir and Ma'am" until the day I shuffle off this mortal coil.

[Left Is Write]

52. A lot of the terms being discussed here are not courtesy titles.

I think the discussion just spun off in a different direction. :D

To me, "courtesy title" refers to Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss. "Sir" and "Ma'am" are considered polite terms of address, but aren't actually titles.

[GalleryGod]

53. Point Well Taken..this thread skidded in to a ditch.

LiW...I'm an Old Dawg, who holds doors, lights cigarettes, always,always, is overly chivalrous until I REALLY get to know you......then:smoke: :evilfrown:

[Trigger Hippie]

54. I was just having trouble

deciding on a phrase that would cover all the terms I wanted people to talk about. Good job, by the way.

I can't belive this hit over 50. I feel so estatic...


*Spinning on top of the Alps like Julie Andrews on speed*

:)

:silly:

[Left Is Write]

56. Nothing quite like getting the little flames on your thread title!

[Trigger Hippie]

57. Wheeeeee!!!

I love it!!

My first flame thread.

:woohoo:

[Left Is Write]

59. Just as long as it doesn't turn into a flame-THROWING thread.

Welcome to DU, BTW.

[Trigger Hippie]

61. thanks (n/t)

[Guy Fawkes]

58. I hate it when people call me "miss" or "ma'am."

It just bugs the sh*t out of me.

[WeRQ4U]

60. Senor - Because I don't speak Spanish

And Dr. because I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

[Rabrrrrrr]

62. Being called by my first name by salespeople

Really fuckin' annoys me.

[Left Is Write]

64. Actually, it annoys me too.

Don't act like you know me just because you read my name on my credit card.

I know some stores require their employees to do this, which makes it all the more annoying. Besides, I don't go by the name that's on my credit card.

[Rabrrrrrr]

68. And I have a name that can be shortened, and invariably they choose the

shortened, more casual, more "friendly", relaxing, buddy-buddy form of my name, I guess because they feel it makes me feel the saleperson is my friend and that I can trust him/her.

My friends, however, know that I do not allow even them to use any of the shortened forms of my name because each and every one of them ANNOY THE LIVING FUCK OUT OF ME (the shortened names, not my friends).

I never write the shortened forms, all my IDs and cards have the full name, I always introduce myself by my full name, and yet, for some reason, the majority of people feel the need to shorten it.

Well, FUCK YOU, people. When someone TELLS you what their name is, that's the goddamn name to use!

(though on DU it's okay to call me Rab)

[VelmaD]

69. Yes yes YES!

My name is Barbara...it has three syllables. It is not "Barb" or "Barbie" or "Babs". *grrrrrr*

[Xithras]

70. My son has the exact same problem.

His name is Thomas, and that is the name everyone who knows him uses. Close friends and family call him Tommy sometimes, but that's it.

And yet, people INSIST on calling him Tom. His name is NOT Tom, it never has been Tom, and it probably never WILL be Tom, but people get absofreakinglutely ANNOYED when they get corrected on it. We've actually had people tell us that "Thomas" is old fashioned and that we're burdening him with that name. I also had one person who refused to stop calling him Tom, claiming that "all Thomases are Toms, the names are interchangeable".

People just don't get it. :banghead:

[Trigger Hippie]

71. That person

who refuses to stop calling him Tom is so clueless. It's like calling Vanessa Susan and refusing to stop. Very different names.

:crazy:

[Rabrrrrrr]

72. Assholes

People also sometimes get annoyed with me for me, for god's sake you selfish fuck, wanting people to use my name, imagine my insensitivity to their need to use one syllable, and not the TWO syllable that I am so burdening them with for the love of Christ.

[Xithras]

67. Being called by my first name by ANYONE I don't know

It implies a familiarity that doesn't exist. If you don't know me, I'm Mr. Xithras.

[Left Is Write]

74. I get treated like a fuddy-duddy if I want to be called Mrs. Write.

"Oh, loosen up!" people say.

[Mutley]

66. Someone called me ma'am in front of my dad last week

and he just thought that was sooooo funny. :eyes: