Remove this Banner Ad

Being called "sir".

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Poseidon said:
Called all my male teachers 'sir' and the female ones 'miss'
I don't mind being called 'sir' but being 21 I think it's pretty rare. I think the last time someone called me 'sir' was at the Hungry Jacks drive thru.
I just call all men "mate" and I still call older women "miss"
Click to expand...

When I taught in the Kimberley it was similar. Probably only 10% of the time staff would be addressed as Mr or Mrs.
 
I would much rather be called sir than 'mate', 'buddy', 'pal' by a stranger. I hate overfamiliarity.

It does bother me when it is used unnecessarily in the middle of a sentence - an offence mostly committed by waiters (never waitresses, oddly). "Would sir like to see the wine list?" Cringeworthy.
 
Caesar said:
I would much rather be called sir than 'mate', 'buddy', 'pal' by a stranger. I hate overfamiliarity.

It does bother me when it is used unnecessarily in the middle of a sentence - an offence mostly committed by waiters (never waitresses, oddly). "Would sir like to see the wine list?" Cringeworthy.
Click to expand...

Carn Caes', ol' buddy ol' pal, would mate like me to completely change my way of speaking?
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Caesar said:
I would much rather be called sir than 'mate', 'buddy', 'pal' by a stranger. I hate overfamiliarity.

It does bother me when it is used unnecessarily in the middle of a sentence - an offence mostly committed by waiters (never waitresses, oddly). "Would sir like to see the wine list?" Cringeworthy.
Click to expand...

But calling you by your username would be giving you a title you haven't earned.

Clever.
 
I was speaking to an American demo pilot for Bombardier on one of the trade days at Avalon last time and he kept casually adding in sir.

I was never going to be buying a jet or anything, we were just having a casual chat and he was telling all about the features of his aircraft and what it could do (was pretty impressive). Basically he would say 'yes sir' in the same place an Aussie might say 'yeah mate' i.e. "Does it have *whatever*?" "Oh yes sir, it can...etc".

I liked it, it was certainly strange but nothing wrong with it. I guess the novelty would wear off quickly though.
 
I think mate, buddy, etc can sound more patronising than sir, depending on the person. Also, i've been in the military, so sir and maam are more second-nature to me than the average Gen-Yer. A number of officers dislike the whole sir thing, and some just hate having to salute in return every time they walk past someone lol (poor officers). But there are the officers who are like Frank Burns in M*A*S*H*, so you have to say 'sir' just in case.

Naturally, when I was transitioning, I hated sir. Men were always more likely to say it (a reflex response with customers), women pick up on your gender more easily. I have actually found pretty, skinnier girls more perceptive and nice in this regard, it's the ugly young fat women who can tend to be more rude (especially in retail/petrol stations). Since I was rather androgynous at the time (not that girly), men often needed me to have a handbag and feminine shoes to get the message that sir wasnt appropriate. It is a funny situation where men often see a man, and women often see a women. When you relate so easily with men and women, this can happen.

A few years ago while I was secretly transitioning, I was once talking online with friends for over 12 months, almost every day. A guy on there talked of having steak for dinner. I said I didnt eat red meat. He said it makes you masculine, that I should eat it. The girls were shocked because they thought I was a girl all along, and the guys thought I was a guy. A complete divide right down the middle. I must have forgotten to mention my gender when we first met, and it never came up again. It is a funny situation, if people relate to you and you show interest in male/female specific topics, you get gendered.

Anyway, back on topic. Naturally, I feel good when someone calls me ma'am. But it's a silly word, even worse than sir.
 
feel-like-a-sir-template.jpg
 
When I was coaching private school cricket in the UK the kids started off calling me sir. It lasted about 20 minutes until I told them not to worry about it.

Used to really piss off the other teachers/coaches that I would let the kids call me by my first name. Couldn't handle getting called sir by 15 year old kids when I was barely 18.

Sir here in Australia is mainly used by customer service nuffies imo. Do not like it.
 
I don't mind being called 'Sir', nor would I have any problems with calling other people 'Sir'. Yes, it's formal, but sometimes the situation requires a certain degree of formality. I have worked as a waiter in a restaurant and I always address customers as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'. Definitely not 'mate' or 'buddy' or whatever, regardless of whether they're older or younger than me. That's because for starters, it's too informal, and secondly, they're not my 'mate', I don't even know them.

Roobs321 said:
Also, i've been in the military, so sir and maam are more second-nature to me than the average Gen-Yer.
Click to expand...

I've been in the ADFC, and I agree with that. I've had to call 18 year old CUOs and Cadet Warrant Officers 'Sir', and I'm fine with it, even though at the time, I was nearly as old as they were. When I became an instructor, it was my turn to be addressed as 'Sir'. It's not about going on a power trip, it's about tradition and respect.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

checkraiseulite said:
When I was coaching private school cricket in the UK the kids started off calling me sir. It lasted about 20 minutes until I told them not to worry about it.

Used to really piss off the other teachers/coaches that I would let the kids call me by my first name. Couldn't handle getting called sir by 15 year old kids when I was barely 18.

Sir here in Australia is mainly used by customer service nuffies imo. Do not like it.
Click to expand...

At my place of work when a mistake is made a letter is sent out addressed to 'Dear valued customer'.I can't think of anything more sterile and impersonal. Addressing the letter to Dear Sir/Dear Madam would make an improvement. Bet they spent a five day retreat coming up with 'Dear valued customer' too.
 
Living in Georgia, it is de rigeur for retail workers and the like to address me as 'sir'. I am used to it, I suppose, but I wouldn't miss going without it. Not as bad as women being addressed as 'ma'am', though - that just conjures up all sorts of images of the Old South to me!
 
I generally use "sir" for strangers who I determine are older than me by at least 10 years. So about 40+ gentlemen.

Otherwise, it's "mate" and if someone very rarely retorts "you're not my mate" then I'll quip them back with something like, "and I don't want to be, saddle bags".

Funnily, though, I'll use "miss" for most women. Particularly middle-aged women. When someone is elderly, then it's "ma'am", although I sometimes use that for young women as well. Definitely never for the middle-aged, though, as they seem to hate it. :thumbsu:
 
I use mate and bud/ down south that's buddy but here it's budda.

Sir is something we called the old teachers that didn't mind it. Most of them we called just by their last name without the "Mister". Maybe that was just me :p
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

EasternTiger said:
If you think sir is overly formal, my ex used to call me Jesus Christ.

"Jesus Christ you're a dickhead!"

"Jesus Christ you're selfish"

I did mention to her it was totally unnecessary, and addressing me as Sir was just fine. Fell on deaf ears.
Click to expand...

When one of my students says to me, "Oh my god" I usually reply, "Sir will do just fine".
 
jorel6669 said:
I generally use "sir" for strangers who I determine are older than me by at least 10 years. So about 40+ gentlemen.

Otherwise, it's "mate" and if someone very rarely retorts "you're not my mate" then I'll quip them back with something like, "and I don't want to be, saddle bags".
Click to expand...

I used a similar rule when I worked in retail, except I occasionally slipped up through force of habit. I once answered a call from an older gentleman customer who reacted very badly when a casual "mate" slipped on to the end of my reply. He asked me, "have you shared your girlfriend with me?" which struck me momentarily dumb until I realised he expected a reply. I said no, to which he replied, "have I shared my wife with you? No. So we aren't mates."

I learnt to always address baby boomers as 'sir' from then on.
 
Roobs321 said:
Since I was rather androgynous at the time (not that girly), men often needed me to have a handbag and feminine shoes to get the message that sir wasnt appropriate. It is a funny situation where men often see a man, and women often see a women. When you relate so easily with men and women, this can happen.
.
Click to expand...
I've had long hair for a few years and went through a stage of being a tad on the skinny side, combined with almost always being clean shaven it used to be hilarious at times catching people out like that. Nothing like seeing retail workers etc. squirm and apologise when they screw up a pronoun, however one thing I found is it tends to be a group effect. a few times I've gone into stores with female friends, shopkeeper greets with ladies, go into a shop with guys its fellas etc. I never really bothered to correct people though, not that mean nor really gave a shit lol.

Still this all pales compared to the honesty of kids and the most minor associations they tend to make...
 
hate it.

never liked and never felt comfortable with it.

haven't called someone sir since i left school.

won't ever call someone sir again (hopefully) and anytime someone calls me sir i tell them to call me by first name.

we're all equal there's not reason to feel inferior or above someone else.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top Bottom