Your feelings on formalities?

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Sis wrote:

Anna1111 wrote:

BTW - I do admit to being at the extreme little pointy end of the bell curve on this issue! :mrgreen:

For years, I haven't told folks my last name, partly so they wouldn't be tempted to tack a title onto it & call me that

I have the "luxury" of living in the west AND in an area even less formal than western cities, in general. Formalities for introductions and greetings are very informal.

But what about calling dh "lord"? :ugeek:

I'd say that's straight out of 1 Peter 3!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3

(although if you look up the cross reference it's referring to http://biblehub.com/genesis/18-12.htm , it doesn't mean she addressed him that way, but rather she *referred to* him that way - so it's a perhaps slightly confused application)

I "get" that a lot more easily than I get calling one's Mommy "Ma'am" :geek:

Tory · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:58 pm **Posts:** 5828

Ma'am and sir aren't names. We don't call them sir or ma'am... We call parents mom and dad..

Ma'am and sir are too complicated to explain here but I do want to point out that we do not call our parent's ma'am - sir...

Tory · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:58 pm **Posts:** 5828

Anna1111 wrote:

Of course you know people who call their parents Ma'am and Sir - Tory & Alexfaith just said THEY do!

And, this whole question came up because my (Southern) friend who has that cultural practice, and started me wondering about it.

I never said that.

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

>>> Some variation on Mama is nearly universal in a whole bunch of languages for one's female parent :ugeek:

<<< Interesting that dad doesn't follow suit.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Tory wrote:

Anna1111 wrote:

Of course you know people who call their parents Ma'am and Sir - Tory & Alexfaith just said THEY do!

And, this whole question came up because my (Southern) friend who has that cultural practice, and started me wondering about it.

I never said that.

I'm confused, Tory - I thought you said that you address your Mom as Ma'am as in "Yes, Ma'am, I'll go to the store for you."

Did I misunderstand?

Briva · **Posted:** Tue May 23, 2017 3:30 pm

I was raised in the deep, deep South, as deep as you can get. Children call their parents mawmaw and pawpaw, in general except when answering a command. Like "Jimmy, get down from there", the response would be, "Yes ma'am". So it's respectful when parents are asserting their authority to respond Ma'am/Sir, but the endearment is mawmaw/pawpaw.

Yes, it's 'honey', 'hon', 'sugar', 'sug' as endearments, Ma'am, Sir in formality. The south is a whole different world.

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Well, THAT makes perfect sense to me, Briva : )

My Southern friends use Ma'am or Sir EVERY time they answer a question - as in, "Is this your glass of sweet tea, sweetheart?" "Yes Ma'am, it is"

Or, "Did you have fun at the mall today, honey?"
"Yes, Ma'am"

Hon, honey, etc - are all pretty normal here, too : )

(And I have NO idea why anyone objects to being called honey - as long as it's not done in a flirtatious way : )

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

Briva wrote:

I was raised in the deep, deep South, as deep as you can get. Children call their parents mawmaw and pawpaw, in general except when answering a command. Like "Jimmy, get down from there", the response would be, "Yes ma'am". So it's respectful when parents are asserting their authority to respond Ma'am/Sir, but the endearment is mawmaw/pawpaw.

Yes, it's 'honey', 'hon', 'sugar', 'sug' as endearments, Ma'am, Sir in formality. The south is a whole different world.

Ya' know - upon reflection for the last couple of hours since you shared this, I DO think I'd FAVOR this custom - when used as you described. In fact, it seems VERY appropriate :ugeek:

I just might ADOPT it!

Sis · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:22 pm **Posts:** 8837

Anna1111 wrote:

Briva wrote:

I was raised in the deep, deep South, as deep as you can get. Children call their parents mawmaw and pawpaw, in general except when answering a command. Like "Jimmy, get down from there", the response would be, "Yes ma'am". So it's respectful when parents are asserting their authority to respond Ma'am/Sir, but the endearment is mawmaw/pawpaw.

Yes, it's 'honey', 'hon', 'sugar', 'sug' as endearments, Ma'am, Sir in formality. The south is a whole different world.

Ya' know - upon reflection for the last couple of hours since you shared this, I DO think I'd FAVOR this custom - when used as you described. In fact, it seems VERY appropriate :ugeek:

I just might ADOPT it!

Which part? Mawmaw and pawpaw? 8-)

Anna1111 · **Joined:** Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 8115

I'm a little puzzled how to pronounce Mawmaw and Pawpaw - it it like Mama & Papa?

around these parts, we have a colloquial term for grandparents that doesnt really have a spelling that I know of - the first /a/ in both the feminine & masculine forms is an /a/ like in apple, with a slight nasal sound to it.

But, no, not changing my "name"

But I MIGHT encourage DD to say "Yes, Ma'am" when reprimanded or given a direct order. That seems appropriate to me

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