Comments on: Young Ladied

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:10:56 +0000

Janetlee, I can see your point on being addressed as Miss. I most often hear it from the 2-5 year set, eliminating any chance of it being belittling.

Daniel, did he earn the title, though?

Honey, Baby, Darling, and Sweetheart are all reserved for people of what I would equivocate with my grandparents' generation. If they are younger and address me as such, it feels patronizing and tends to make me feel snarky.

By: S~~

S~~ — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:34:27 +0000

I agree, Heather! And as I get older, I find I object to folks much, much younger than I am referring to me as baby, darling, honey, or sweetheart – doesn’t bother me when the person is withing a decade of my age, for some reason.

By: daniel

daniel — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:42:35 +0000

Oooo, ma’am is a tricky one. I came out of my enlistment with this rote tick of referring to EVERYONE as “sir” or “ma’am” and it lasted for years. I dropped the sirs long ago, but if I hold a door for a woman above the age of 12, I will automatically return her thanks with a “yes ma’am.” I don’t think of it as a comment on her age, but a sign of generic respect. “Miss” seems too familiar.

Then again, I don’t call anyone “young lady.” Except, perhaps, for Bryce Donovan.

By: JanetLee

JanetLee — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:25:43 +0000

Listen here, young lady! I quite agree with you. I was trying to think if I’d ever heard anyone other than my mom say that to me. The ma’am thing is touchy. I was taught to use it with anyone older than myself or anyone in a position of authority or respect. I still use it when addressing the docs I work with, even though many of them are younger. I’ve never been upset if addressed as ma’am perhaps because it is respectful in my vocabulary. Miss, now that is getting irritating as I am certainly no longer of ‘miss’ age and it seems to be an attempt flatter or make me feel young, which I don’t need.