Hey southerners

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mizznicole

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How many of you that grew up in the South called your parents “Ma’am” and “Sir”?

I noticed my friends who were Texas born and bred always referred to their folks like this, and then did it to mine. Being from the Midwest, I really found it strange!

That’s one funny thing about Texas - there is both this sense of formality and super friendliness. Both were a little tough to adjust to at first, but now I miss it like crazy. Here in Florida I find strangers are rather ruuuuuuude. 😦
 
I was born and raised in southern Indiana in a very small town, but now live in Tennessee, and It has always been yes maam, no sir since I was little. We were raised that way, and people here in Tennessee are the same. When we lived around Indianapolis though, it was rare to hear that.
 
I’m not southern, but my dad was, growing up in a rural part of Virginia. He was big on the “sir” and “ma’am” thing, so I still do it to this day with people older than me. 😃
 
I grew up in Texas, southern mom, yankee dad, and although we never called our parents “sir” or 'ma’am", we were expected to call every other adult by those terms. We had quite a few elderly neighbors and my parents addressed them that way, too.
 
mizznicole said:
How many of you that grew up in the South called your parents “Ma’am” and “Sir”?

I noticed my friends who were Texas born and bred always referred to their folks like this, and then did it to mine. Being from the Midwest, I really found it strange!

That’s one funny thing about Texas - there is both this sense of formality and super friendliness. Both were a little tough to adjust to at first, but now I miss it like crazy. Here in Florida I find strangers are rather ruuuuuuude. 😦
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yep, that was me. its just the way it was is and will be.
 
I’m from Kentucky and I didn’t call my parents sir and Ma’am, but I sure did call all other adults that. I never thought it was odd, but I’ve had northerners tell me they find it odd to be called Ma’am. I figure if it’s good enough to call queens Ma’am, it’s good enough for me too.😉
 
I have spent 48 out of my 53 years in north Florida. My parents were from upstate New York & Brooklyn. My 4 siblings & I were taught to say yes/no ma’am & yes/no sir to all adults. Most everyone around here in general are polite in the true southern sense. I remeber my friend from Boston saying that when she first moved here everyone was saying “have a nice day!” She said she would look at them thinking, “do I know you?” So she was not used to strangers being so nice.😊
 
I’ve lived in Texas all my life and was expected to “yes, ma’am” et cetera to every adult. I still do.

I even do it with my niece and nephew when they ask a question – it teaches them that everyone deserves respect.
 
I was born in Mass and raised in PA and I was required to answer my parents with yes ma’am or yes sir… I don’t know, but it seemed like it was the way we were raised and not a regional thing. My mom was originally from SD and my dad from PA so neither of them came from the south either…🤷
 
Even at my age, I still refer to ladies I don’t know as m’am. “M’am can you bring a menu next time you come this way.”

Funny, I don’t use sir to a 20 year old kid, but I’ll use m’am for a young lady.

I used sir/m’am when I was a 8 years old, but not with my parents. But they made sure everywhere else. They never explained why it was that way.

Its rough being a 20 something male. He gets little respect anywhere LOL. I think it is a cultural thing. Men have to earn repsect by life experience or knowledge. OTOH a young lady is always respected, and m’am is useful in that regard. But I could be wrong.

So what does DixieBell say?
 
Down here that’s the way you’re raised. For the purposes of business it is an asset. I am on the phone all the time. I have had customers from all over the country comment how polite southerners are. Not that others are nessicerrily rude. It’s just that we seem to excell at politeness. My wifes company moved it’s entire phone operation here just for that very reason.
 
mizznicole said:
How many of you that grew up in the South called your parents “Ma’am” and “Sir”?

I noticed my friends who were Texas born and bred always referred to their folks like this, and then did it to mine. Being from the Midwest, I really found it strange!

That’s one funny thing about Texas - there is both this sense of formality and super friendliness. Both were a little tough to adjust to at first, but now I miss it like crazy. Here in Florida I find strangers are rather ruuuuuuude. 😦
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Florida has a ton of rude people…depending on where you go. South Florida and Orlando are the worst…But, in Tampa, they are reasonably polite. I don’t care for ma’am and sir, personally…although many men say it to me out of politeness…my husband says it sometimes, when trying to be silly. YEESS MA’AM. 😃 But, I can take it or leave it from strangers.
 
I live in Texas and I do not use maam or sir for my parents. Ever since I took Spanish in highschool, I have actually called them padre and madre:p . However, I do refer to strangers or professors as sir or maam.
 
Funny, I don’t use sir to a 20 year old kid, but I’ll use m’am for a young lady
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If you’d called me m’am when I was 20 I’d have done this

:ehh: :dts:

A 20 year old should be a miss not a m’am. :rolleyes: 😛

Actually if you call me m’am now at 32 I’d give you the evil eye. My mother is a m’am not me thank you.

mizznicole I’ve not lived in TX or FL but visit both I can tell you that I observed the same thing. People in TX are polite, and make small talk with you, which is what I’m used to. Florida (sorry to any Floridians) has the rudest people I’ve ever encountered, all over the state, though Miami was a bit friendlier, but very little.

By habit I always say hello and how are you to any store cashier i might encounter, but when I do that in FL, I get looked at like a psychopath, and they don’t say a word. I say thank you, nothing. I say excuse me to someone, nothing. Ask may I please for something, no verbal response whatsoever. You get the feeling people would rather you don’t exist or something.

And the there is the driving…I’ve never seen anything like it. No regard for anyone else on the road.

I would feel as if I was in hostile territory living there.
 
Depends on the circumstance. Ussually I can give a quick"HEY" and then ask the question. Other times I’ll do the ma’am and sir thing if it’s truly Necessary . Never to my parents though. I was born in Michigan so they never expected me to do that anyways. Besides I have a mom and a dad for parents not a ma’am or sir. :yup:
 
shannyk said:
If you’d called me m’am when I was 20 I’d have done this

:ehh: :dts:

A 20 year old should be a miss not a m’am. :rolleyes: 😛

Actually if you call me m’am now at 32 I’d give you the evil eye. My mother is a m’am not me thank you.

mizznicole I’ve not lived in TX or FL but visit both I can tell you that I observed the same thing. People in TX are polite, and make small talk with you, which is what I’m used to. Florida (sorry to any Floridians) has the rudest people I’ve ever encountered, all over the state, though Miami was a bit friendlier, but very little.

By habit I always say hello and how are you to any store cashier i might encounter, but when I do that in FL, I get looked at like a psychopath, and they don’t say a word. I say thank you, nothing. I say excuse me to someone, nothing. Ask may I please for something, no verbal response whatsoever. You get the feeling people would rather you don’t exist or something.

And the there is the driving…I’ve never seen anything like it. No regard for anyone else on the road.

I would feel as if I was in hostile territory living there.
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😃 Sometimes, I will be referred to as ‘miss.’ I like that lol
I guess I feel like an old granny or something, when I’m referred to as ma’am. :o And I don’t call men, sir. I just think it’s too formal, I guess.
 
Actually if you call me m’am now at 32 I’d give you the evil eye. My mother is a m’am not me thank you.
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This might be a regional difference? You are not a m’am but a miss? Is a married 25 year old in Wisconsin a m’am or a miss? And when does a lady cross from being a miss to a m’am?

I’ll hafta to keep that in mind next time I come through up there.

I was passing through Amarillo, Texas and 3 cowboy ahead of me refereed to the young hostess as m’am, and so far I don’t think I’ve ever been corrected. I don’t think m’am has a negative association around here within reason.

I can see the using miss in the case of younger ladies. But nothing is worse then “HEY YOU!” like ya hear in NJ and NY. LOL.
 
In Tennessee we call people Sir/Ma’am unconditionally unless they ask for otherwise, and some do. When we visit family in California, they think it is rude to call someone Ma’am. I just try to explain that my children are just showing respect for a stranger or an elder. We don’t call people Sir/Ma’am because we think they are old, it’s because it is a formal way to address some one.

Back when I was living in California on the beach, the formal way to address someone was “dude”. While I don’t think “dude” is a rude way to address some one in the proper setting, it doesn’t work here in Tennessee.
 
Down here in South (like at the bottom of the boot south…😛 ) Louisiana, if your mamma raised you right, you use sir and m’am well into your 90s…😃
It just does not sound right to my ears when I hear a child just say “yes” or “no” without the mam/sir!!! I am soooooo used to reminding dd and the lil ones I tend to say ma’am, that the other day, my mom said “yes” to something I asked her and I responded “yes what?”😛 …she said, “Girl I know you didnt say that to me!” LOL!!! I am 35 and I still say ma’am to my momma and the other day I answered dh boss, “sir”. 😃
 
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