AM I BEING POLITE/WELL MANNERED IN THE U.S?

[Whispertruth]

If you are in the South, I have heard you should use ma'am. Maybe and older woman would like it, but most women don't. The rest sounds fine. I also use please and thank you at times.

[Mae Lovelyn]

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

-shrugs-
I've worked at places and called women ma'am/miss just because I had to be professional. It's always fun calling the elderly ladies "miss".

[GhostlyMark]

Young King under Heaven

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

Maybe it makes them feel old? I know I felt weird when some kid called me sir;

Really? I wouldn't have cared

Only one time I ever felt some type of way is when some old white guy looked at me and said "whatchu doin round 'ere boy"

[GhostlyMark]

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

-shrugs-
I've worked at places and called women ma'am/miss just because I had to be professional. It's always fun calling the elderly ladies "miss".

I use Miss
Only because it rolls off the tongue better and its a habit

[Mae Lovelyn]

GhostlyMark

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

-shrugs-
I've worked at places and called women ma'am/miss just because I had to be professional. It's always fun calling the elderly ladies "miss".

I use Miss
Only because it rolls off the tongue better and its a habit

Or we could be like the Filipinos I've met who are unfailingly polite and address people as ma'amsir. Just cause well...you never know xp

[Chieftain Twilight]

Whispertruth

If you are in the South, I have heard you should use ma'am. Maybe and older woman would like it, but most women don't. The rest sounds fine. I also use please and thank you at times.

here in the south, a hell of alot less women feel insulted or old when they get called "ma'am". most of them find it respectful. which is really all it is.

[Chieftain Twilight]

xiatara

Heroes of Thedas

xiatara

Lol, I don't get why people get mad if you call them ma'am. It's just a way to address a female to be polite. If you get mad at being referred to as ma'am, then you're probably self conscious of your age.
When I was doing clinicals, I address all of my female patient as ma'am. Sometimes, I call them hun or sweety if they are really old so it's not too impersonal.

Then again, I live in the south. No patients complained how I addressed them.

gaia_angelleft emotion_bigheart gaia_angelright
I live in the Deep South, as it were. I'm only 24, but don't call me "Ma'am". Sure as hell don't call me "sweety", "hun", or anything too personal either. Preferably call me Miss Law, or by my first name if we've become more acquainted as doctor/patient lol (same goes for any professional relationship I enter...I get super uncomfortable and emotionally unstable when people start getting too familiar with me when I don't even really know them...or if they refer to me in a way that I find insulting haha) I'm an odd duck...but anxiety and whatever else will do that to a person..*suddenly feels awkward* sweatdrop Sorry if I came off a bit rude..

So what if a kid called you ma'am? Or a preteen?

If you read my post, I only call old people 'hun' or 'sweety'. Because from my experience, they seem to like that because it shows that I am being personal to them. And then they will tell me their life story. It'd be weird if I call people my age that. o_O I'm 23.

I also call little kids hun and sweety. Or precious if they are an infant because babies are so precious. 4laugh

I have had to learn, on Gaia, to actively force myself not to call people "Hun" or "Dear". xp it's ridiculous how many people get offended by it. think you are talking down to them or something. I don't get it. it's just the way we talk where I'm from.

[GhostlyMark]

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

-shrugs-
I've worked at places and called women ma'am/miss just because I had to be professional. It's always fun calling the elderly ladies "miss".

I use Miss
Only because it rolls off the tongue better and its a habit

Or we could be like the Filipinos I've met who are unfailingly polite and address people as ma'amsir. Just cause well...you never know xp

I'm gonna start using that and hope I don't get anyone mad

[Mae Lovelyn]

GhostlyMark

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

Mae Lovelyn

GhostlyMark

i cannot believe women will throw a fit over the word ma'am

-shrugs-
I've worked at places and called women ma'am/miss just because I had to be professional. It's always fun calling the elderly ladies "miss".

I use Miss
Only because it rolls off the tongue better and its a habit

Or we could be like the Filipinos I've met who are unfailingly polite and address people as ma'amsir. Just cause well...you never know xp

I'm gonna start using that and hope I don't get anyone mad

Sometimes I use it around those androgynous types when I'm not too sure how I should address them.

[Brain Weasels]

In the South,yes.
In the North, that's hella creepy.

[Unawarebrah]

Dromias Weasels

In the South,yes.
In the North, that's hella creepy.

Why would it be?

[Brain Weasels]

Unawarebrah

Dromias Weasels

In the South,yes.
In the North, that's hella creepy.

Why would it be?

Just culture

[Mechromancer4Life]

Manners in the U.S. of A.
1) Yell your beliefs at people who don't want to hear them.
2) When people disagree with you yell "DISCRIMINATION!"
3) Never solve problems peacefully, if at least one person dies it was a good argument.

[Seraphiel The Forgiving]

Unawarebrah

I address every female as ma'am.

Whenever I make eye contact with someone, I usually just give a quick smile and sometimes duck my head down.


I usually give hand-shakes whenever I first meet someone.

Etiquette isn't as simple as doing a task. It's not about just doing something, it's about doing it right.

Calling somebody "ma'am" is a great way to start off a conversation badly. Ma'am is a title that automatically ages a person, so I recommend using "miss" if anything. Or their name.

Point 2 sounds more antisocial than anything. Don't worry so much about that.

Handshakes are an art, my friend. You have to know what kind of handshake to use at what moment. If you're being introduced to a male and you're a male, you make that shake firm. But not as if it's a competition, don't try to crush their hand. Just give them a firm handshake that says "hey, I'm a man, not some little b***h boy who has a limp hand." For girls, keep it steady, but still solid.

[thewaitingtree]

......Ma'am is polite.... but not all women like to be called that. Ma'am sounds like the woman is old.

The head nodding thing... polite but people will find it weird. Sometimes it's better to downplay the accidental eye contact by pretending it didn't happen. (but if you're talking to someone, you should at least be looking at their face)

Hand shaking is fine. Usually with a "My name's ______" or a "Nice to meet you". A few other instances apply, but really, just wait for people to start them. Really.
(i don't like handshaking, personally, but i'm weird.)