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Re: MOTHER

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:44 am
by Perry Lassiter
Children are taught to say "yes ma'am, no sir" in our schools and in much of our culture. Southern culture can extend that to almost anyone anywhere.

Re: MOTHER

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 11:34 am
by LukeJavan8
Doctors were Dr. Smith, Jones, Addison, etc.

Clergy were Rev. Smith, Jones, Addison, or Father Smith, etc.

Now it is Dr. Bill, Dr. John, Dr. Annie;
and Rev. Sam, Tom or Father Bill, Father Mike, etc.

All formal etiquette seems to have disappeared with
nuns wearing habits and nurses wearing their caps.
Being "capped" used to be a big thing.

Re: MOTHER

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 12:32 pm
by Slava
I actually just got off the phone with the company that provides my CPAP supplies, and the young gentleman on the other end used Mr. throughout the call. Quite pleasant.

Going back to mama and roots, note the apostrophe at the end of the Russian mat'. Very important. Without the palatalization of the t, it means mate, as in Checkmate. It also means foul language. Too much mat in your movie will earn you an R rating.

Re: MOTHER

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:03 pm
by gailr
I might still call people sir or madam (ma'am sounds too queenly) on occasion, it mainly being a sign I cannot instantly recall their name.
I once worked for an upper class lady who fixed an unreasonable customer with a gimlet gaze, addressing her as 'madam' in a tone of voice which made clear her impeccable contempt.
:D

Re: MOTHER

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:17 pm
by Slava
Probably an urban legend, but isn't there a story about Johnny Carson getting in trouble for saying madam to a woman in the audience? She seemed to feel that madam was meant only for female keepers of brothels.