So I was in the store today and was talking with another customer about my coupon binder. A group came by and one of the men said "excuse me,'ma'am'". Her cart was sort of in the way and he had to brush by her.
As he walked away, she said towards him (in a low voice) ,"you call me ma'am again and I will hit you!".

I don't know if this matters but the group was members of boy scouts and one of the men was (I presume) the head of the troop. I seriously doubt his intent was to be rude, I think he was being polite and wanting to set an example.

I also personally know someone who HATES being called 'ma'am'.

See, it does not bother me, but what about you? Do you like or dislike being called 'ma'am'?

__________________
@@@
l/ l/ l/
Dont go through life,
GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

LOL!! If I hated it, the south would be the LAST place I would need to be!

I love it. "Ma'am" and "Sir" are said regularly down here. I get called "Miss <my first name>" a lot, too.

__________________

It doesn't bother me either.

What I do dislike by other adults is sweetie, honey, etc.

Lisa

__________________
"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

It doesn't bother me. I just think that when someone says this they are trying to be respectful. When I first moved south and was called this, it made me feel old...but after awhile I thought it was kind of nice...very mannerly. ~Lisa

That doesn't bother me either...I call alot of people 'hon...Some people are just more affectionately verbal than others...I don't think that they are being condescending at all... ~Lisa

I think it is a sign of respect. I can understand that younger women might think of it as a term that is usually used for older women and therefore dislike it. But, I AM an older woman, so no, it doesn't bother me in the least. I think it's respectful.

__________________
Linda

When we first moved to Texas it took me a while to get used to, but it never bothered me. The kids were expected to use Ma'am and Sir in school, so it was just something they got in the habit of saying themselves. I was also Miss Nicole to all the kids friends.

Most people use it with respect. (IMO)

__________________
Nicole

To me it shows respect. I live in the South, and if my children ever refferred to an adult as anything BUT "yes maam or sir" they would get it!!! I'm a nurse and work with the public, and would feel totally disrespectful to refer to an older person as anything but sir or maam.

__________________
*** Find A Need , Fill A Need ***

Also wanted to add, my childrens friends have always called me "Miss Donna" . They are now grown and none of them would ever think they were on a first name basis with me!!!

__________________
*** Find A Need , Fill A Need ***

I like the "Sir" or "Ma'am" titles. I've never heard them said in a way that would suggest that the speaker was trying to be less than gracious. To me, it's a sign of respect / very good manners.

I wonder if the people who dislike the term "ma'am" the most are also the ones who are reluctant to ever be called "Grandma" one day? Is it that they think it makes them feel old? I don't think that's normally the intention, but I imagine that might be what they (the offended receivers) think it implies.

I don't like "hon" or "sweetie" if it is someone who I don't know, such as at a restaurant or check-out counter. That, to me, is a boundary issue.

__________________
"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

I hate it. Always have.

Jen

__________________
Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!

I hate it. First time it happened I was 26 and it made me feel OLD even though I suppose the 15 year old bag boy at the grocery didn't mean it the way I took it. I told him my mother was "ma'am" LOL

Now my kids are in karate and they are coached to call women/girls "ma'am" and boys/men "sir". I *know* it's respectful but it makes me feel old

__________________
Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Although I rarely hear it here, I'm not offended by it at all. I'm grateful they're using manners! Around here you rarely even get an "excuse me" out of the kids that run by you in the stores.

Doesn't bother me.

The woman's obviously a mental case. I wish she had hit him so she could find out how youth returning jail is. Being called 'Ma'am' is a measure of respect that she obviously did not deserve.

There is no hard and fast rule as to the exact age a woman becomes a 'Ma'am' but marriage automatically earns the title. It doesn't matter if you marry at fifteen - if you're married, you're a ma'am. Technically, if you're unmarried, you're always a Miss (or in today's world, some use Ms. in correspondence) but other people can't tell by appearance who's married and who's single so (past a certain age), they call you 'Ma'am'. Usually, if you look over 25, an adult will call you ma'am because somebody in their mid-twenties might be married. A child will call any adult 'ma'am' because everybody looks older to them. Combining 'Miss' with a first name is always aceptable no matter what their age or marital status but 'Miss' is not used with the last name of a married woman.

I've never understood these idiots who have to always find offence with something. Ma'am is meant as a social nicety and nothing is going to make these idiots younger anyway - they're the same age no matter what title they want to call themselves and everybody can look at them and see it. You were born in the year you were born and so what? 'Miss' or 'Ma'am', it's just a title and a nicer way of addressing someone than saying 'Hey, you'. Some people just can't be pleased and if that mental case had threatened me, I would have called her something else entirely and see if she had liked that label better!

I admit that I didn't like the point in time at which I started to be called ma'am instead of miss. But now, I'm ok with it. Much, much better than when people use terminology that suggests a more intimate relationship (honey, sweetie, etc)

cj/

__________________
I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I don't care. About the only person who ever calls me that is the bag boy in the supermarket. I figure his job is bad enough, I don't need to exacerbate it by pitching a fit over what he calls me.

__________________
If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

It's better then "honey, or hon". I do NOT like to be called either of those names. I am not their honey, and I will let them know. lol

__________________
"Madison AnnMarie " 6/13/2008

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/g...t=8652d1ea.pbr

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/g...t=adbcb309.pbr

I guess I don't mind much at all for any of these. Honey, sweet pea, sweetie, darlin' - none of them bother me. I just look at it as someone trying to be friendly and make me smile - which it does. I just can't find anything hateful in calling someone something sweet.

As long as none of those "titles" are spoken with a crappy attitude, I can't help but smile. There's just too many other nasty things people say to each other to get hung up over "sweetie" - like "you call me ma'am again and I will hit you!"

LOL!! That lady should be glad I wasn't me on the receiving end of that snarky little remark. I would've whipped around so fast and addressed her much differently. Her mouth would have been hanging far too open to reply.

__________________

None of them really bother me. It depends on the context I think. If my GYN is probing in delicate places, and says "Hey sweetie, can you shift a little to the right?" I might be tempted to slap him upside the head. If the cashier at the grocery store says it, that's different. Maam is fine as well, from almost anyone. In other words, you can call me anything, just call me.

I call my grandson sweetie all the time and sometime his friends as well. It's easier to use for his friends than remembering all their names.

He uses "miss" in front of the first names like Miss Mary and Miss Tracy, (as do I), when he has a lot of contact with them. Others are Mrs, Smith etc. His mom tries to get him to say yes maam and no sir etc, but with limited success.

It's regional. The south does it, but my grandson is doing it in part because of the southern influence and in part because his daddy is a North Dakota retired rodeo cowboy and those cowboys can be very polite when they want to be, which seems to be most of the time.

LOL! I doubt he heard her; she said it in a low voice plus by the time she uttered it he was at the far end of the aisle and getting ready to turn to leave.

And I agree about being called 'sweet' and 'honey'. I remember being at the same store and getting ready to turn into an aisle. There was a guy stocking the shelf and was sort of in the way, preventing me from pulling my cart in. As soon as he saw me, he rushed to move out of the way, and said "oh I'm so sorry honey, let me move out of the way here...". He was an older guy, the tone of his voice was just so nice and happy. I did not take offense at all; in fact the guy brightened my day.

Perhaps I should have told him, "You call me 'honey' again and I will hit you!" And maybe did a fist air shake for good measure.

I kid, I kid!, lol

__________________
@@@
l/ l/ l/
Dont go through life,
GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

I don't think you can go anywhere in the South without people using ma'am. I think it's just a term of respect when addressing someone, I don't think it has anything to do with your age. Now...up North it may be different.

I personally have never had a problem with anyone using any "terms of endearment" when addressing me. Again...I think it has a lot to do with growing up and living in the South.

__________________
Mary

...and I couldn't get down HERE fast enough!

__________________

Nope, ma'am doesn't bother me at all.
honey, Hon, sweetie, sweetheart, etc.depends on tone, inflection and context.

Anyone who's been in the South for more than a week will tell you "bless your heart" can have all sorts of meaning. From condolences to truly catty and bitchy!

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

It doesn't bother me too much, but when I was doing taxes this year we cater to a lot of military everytime I would ask a question it would be answered with ma'am at the end of every question it drove me nuts !!

Examples, Do you own your own home? Yes Ma'am Are you Married? Yes Ma'am, Did you get your stimulus payment? yes ma'am. Do you know how much it was? yes ma'am it was X amount of dollars. etc etc every little question I would have to ask.

So in some contexts its fine but in others its annoying as heck !

__________________
~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Nope, it doesn't bother me. I think calling someone m'am is a term of respect and good manners. I don't like sales clerks or cashiers calling me by my first name though.

I hate it with a passion. When I'm 80 (if I live that long) then you can call me ma'am...until then...NO WAY.

__________________

Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

Yes maam. But what are you going to do if they call you maam, maam?

Doesnt bother me, it's respect. And anymore anyone that shows respect under age 30 deserves a huge hug cause it's pretty rare for those young whippersnappers to show anything but rudeness

__________________
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com

My other favorites
www.paperbackswap.com
www.wheresgeorge.com
www.geocaching.com

I can't imagine how or why it would be offensive..unless you live in a dream world and think you are still a young gift so you should be called "miss"??

__________________
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.

E. Roosevelt

I certainly don't think it's offensive...it is a sign of respect. Just makes me feel older than I already am....that's why I don't care for it.

__________________

Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

Living in the South.. it is just the "way it is". Yes I do feel older, when I am called ma'am. Because growing up, if you were 10 years older... you were ma'am. I do not call a younger cashier ma'am, it is usually.. "miss". If you are over 60.. the manners just pour out of my mouth

If you are older and I have no respect for that person... I will not see Ma'am or Sir. My own little punishment to them

I do think older people tend to use Hon, Sweetie, etc... in place of remembering everyone's names.

As for kids.. boys are "buddy"&"kiddo"
girls are "sweetie"& "hon"

Apparently any child that has bought a book from me at bookfair, or been to the Santa shop.... seems to think I should get a hug from them, no way can i remember them all

I am called Miss. Josie by the kids' close friends. Or X's Mom by the random kids at school.

Depends on how they say it usually people are just trying to be polite and respectful.

__________________
The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Baltimore is "hon" town and everyone calls you hon.

I understand it's a sign of respect and to me manners are almost nonexistant (not by all, there are still some very nice people out there). Personally, I don't like it for the simple fact it makes me feel old, butI don't get bent out of shape by it though. I notice it more from the service people I come in contact with and the southerners.

As far as honey and all those others, depends on the situation and the tone of voice. I tend to call people dear and most of them are my regular customers I deal with and I can't remember all their names.

__________________
~~just open your eyes and see that life if beautiful~~