Sir/Ma'am

[Lauren Healy]

I'm just going to copy and paste what I replied to on another mailing list
on this subject!

I'm English, always have been, always will be, and never have I called my
dad 'Sir', unless I was REALLY trying to piss him off!!  I feel I have to
talk about this point for a while.  Let me tell you a bit about where I live
and stuff (don't worry, it all has a point)  I live in Newcastle upon Tyne,
which is in the North East of England.  I'm privatly educated, and middle
class.  I have always respected my elders.  When I go to school (yes, I'm
still in school, I'm 17!) I call the teachers Mr Whoever, Mrs Whoever, Miss
Whoever.  I always have done.  This year, however, 3 girls from state
schools (comprehensive schools) joined, and they call the teachers, Sir and
Miss, regardless of who they are.  We all find this rather weird, and I'm
sure if we went into their schools and started calling them Mr, Mrs, Miss,
we would be thought of as strange.  But, if one of ANY of us called our
fathers or uncles Sir, we would be thought of as rude.  Saying all of that,
however, the 'Sir' line didn't really bother me at all.  In fact, I didn't
even notice it until I read some of the messages on here!


Lauren  :)