calling your parents ma'am/sir

Sardonicat wrote: »

If they were knighted, we're conferred with an honoury doctorate and held a PhD you would have to say 'Sir Dr.Dr. Dad'?

They should really use whichever honorification is appropriate for the situation.
That being said, the Sir is closest to the name. So it would be
Dr. Sir Dad PhD or Dr Dame Mam PhD


They can get long winded though. For example His Excellency, The Right Honourable, Air Chief Marshall Dr. Sir. Paddy Longnose GBE

would be acceptable and make sense.


I've had to call the brother Sir a few times, on account of him being a commissioned officer and me being an enlisted rank. The auld lad, before he retired, did it once when they first met in uniform and told him to enjoy it, that it would never happen again :pac:

Manic Moran wrote: »

It seems to be more a Southern thing for the kids to address their parents as Sir/Ma'am when they're old enough to understand terms of respect. The concept is "respect of others", basically, so it drives them to saying 'sir/ma'am' to everyone. Note, it is usually used in response. If they want the attention of the parent, its "Dad, can I....", not "Sir, can I..." but if in response to a question, "Yes, Sir". I've encountered a few families which do this.

Adults will commonly use it to address others as well, it's not something which disappears when they hit adulthood.

I grew up in the South and this is accurate. Growing up, Mom and Dad were mom and dad, unless you were in trouble and you're getting a lecture. Then it's, "yes sir, yes ma'am." Outside of that, sir and ma'am are used to refer to anyone you want to show respect to in place of their name.

And even as an adult, it occasionally slips in when I'm talking to a colleague and quickly affirm something:

Can you print these out for me?

Yes, ma'am!

It makes some people really uncomfortable, especially if they grew up outside of the South. But it's so ingrained that sometimes it just slips out. My own mother yes ma'ams me once in a while now. :pac:

Wibbs wrote: »

It's also handy if you forget somebody's name. The Southern version of the Irish, "ah it's yourself!"

That’s one of the oddest expressions. I once worked with a fella, he’d call the wife during his lunch break...

“ howya doing, is that yourself ? , it’s meself here ”

On me walking in to the office of a morning.... “ahhh there you are now, it’s yourself !”

Of course it’s myself who the fûck else am I supposed to be :eek:

Sardonicat wrote: »

I think expecting your kids to address you this way is extremely authoritarian. I doubt it's common practice.

It's conservative American ****e. More specifically Southern States I believe. A part of their fetishisation of the military and authoritarian structures they seem to revere, just extended to the home.

I never heard anyone address their parents as Sir or Ma'am here. Any parent that would demand their kids address them like that are on power trips.

They're the type who demand complete obedience and submission and try to mould their kids into mini-me's. Then wonder why their kids grow up to be crippled with emotional and psychological problems and despise them.

BDI wrote: »

The worse is the edgey hip teenagers that call their mothers by their first name like it makes them so cool and badass.

Couldn’t even make themselves a cheese sandwich.

I'm late 30s, I always called my parents by their first names. My sister doesn't, she uses mam and dad. From what I've read, it's more prevalent among firstborns (to use names).

I make myself a very tasty cheese sandwich, I'll have you know. Toasted, butter, bit of onion, grated white cheddar/gouda mix, mustard, worstershire sauce. Hits the spot.

screamer wrote: »

My pet hate is kids calling their parents by their first name, so disrespectful

You what now?

Our mam was / is/ and always will be mam ,dead now a good few years but really great memories ,our mam