Question about British/American difference...

[bluesqueak]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Gail Bohacek" <gandharvika at h...> wrote:
>
> 
> While we're on the subject of addressing people, I was  wondering 
> about  this...never in all my years of schooling (in the U.S.)  
> had any of my teachers addressed me by my last name: "You, 
> Bohacek...".  It was always by  my first name.   But I've noticed 
> in the books people are always calling  each other this 
> way, "Potter", "Weasley" etc.  Is this another British  difference?
> 
> -Gail B.
> 
Yes. Again, it depends on the school. Very few primary (pre 11) 
schools nowadays would call a child by anything but their first 
name, but in secondary schools it's still not uncommon for pupils to 
be called by their surnames. 

It's a way of emphasising that your teachers are not your family or 
your friends but are your *teachers* and you and they have to 
observe a certain distance.

Kids would generally refer to their friends by their first name, but 
might pick up the habit of calling people they don't know so well by 
the surnames they hear so often. Calling a fellow pupil by their 
surname is also a way of emphasising 'you are *not* my friend'.

Hope this helps
Pip!Squeak