Girls and Ladies? How do you react to being called Ma'am?

(good to see you here, Tsar - I was starting to worry with the freak storm in your area yesterday..)

It's all in ones' perception. I KNOW that the term ma'am is a sign of respect. I use it all the time myself, as a sign of respect to women older than me. I just have issue being called that myself. A big ol' stoopid contradiction? You bet.

I walked into Petey's Burger 1/8th of a block from the elevated subway station, fully unaware about the oncoming storm then 2 seconds later the booming of thunder over head and the rain came a pouring down.

Missed me by that much -> <-.

Nope. Hate to oversell it. Just a very hard/very loud/very quick downpour in my part of Queens.

Quite serious, Pemerson

<snicker>

Oh yeah...absolutely. I cringe when someone says it to me. But I take it in the manner it is meant.

Do we have a choice?

Just happened yesterday! Maybe it happens more often and I don't know about it, but as far as I know that was one of the first times ever so I thought of this thread right away. I was at a public event, sitting on some bleachers, with a rather rowdy group of teenaged boys behind me. At some point one of them stomped vigorously which was startling and I looked behind me in a "wtf?" kind of way. He said "Sorry, ma'am."

I didn't mind in that context, I was braced for dealing with purposely bratty teenagers and that was a reassuring and appropriate response.

Unfortunately no. Of course I like to comfort myself in thinking that I thought people were old when they were in their 30's when I was a teenager . And people in their 40's had their foot in the grave. Thank goodness I can see it all so clearly now. We are only as young as we feel

I'm a whipper snapper.

Yep Soz..."Sorry ma'am" is much better than " whatcha looking at beeyotch? "

I know THAT'S right.

I was trying to remember if I've ever been called Ma'am and I don't think I have - but then when I thought about why I haven't and I figured out that I've been living in England since my early forties - so probably right around the time I'd have started being called Ma'am in the US - I moved to England.

I like what they call you here - they say stuff like, 'My love', 'My darlin'('), or 'young lady'. I was asking directions yesterday and the guy I asked didn't know so he said to the other guy, 'Richard, this young lady needs to know where the auto parts store is...' and I was thinking, 'Young lady?! Hmmm- that's kind of nice.'

I have had someone here call me 'Madam'. That was sort of weird. I didn't like it - it made me feel like he was putting himself down and me on a pedestal - like he was a butler and I was someone he was serving. That made me uncomfortable,

Now, Roger

Good times. Good times! (´−｀) ﾝｰ

I think it's poor English when a group of mixed genders is called "you guys"..
There are perfectly usuable phrased one can use instead of "guys".
I don't really object to it, but it shows me the mannerism of the person using it.
That's of course in a business setting as your example with Boxer showed.

Privately, I think it's no big deal.

I also don't mind to be called "hon" and other terms of endearment. It's a nice gesture and nothing else. One shouldn't read too much into it.

gheez, I just realized this is an old thread..

I understand and fully practice (to a fault perhaps) using professional titles when addressing them in real life. As with Senator Boxer, she definitely earned her title and deserves the subsequent respect that being addressed thusly. Like doctors and other public officials.

No problem. I ... bumped it for a reason.