Australian Politics Forum - Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir

Laugh till you cry Gold Member Offline Posts: 16619 In your happy place Gender:	Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:34pm ... never makes it to Australian culture. If it ever does it must not be gender specific and apply equally to females because there is no female equivalent. ... but wait! It has already corrupted Ozpolitic BBS.
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ian

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #1 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 8:15pm

Laugh till you cry wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:34pm:

... never makes it to Australian culture. If it ever does it must not be gender specific and apply equally to females because there is no female equivalent.

... but wait! It has already corrupted Ozpolitic BBS.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DontCallMeSir_3434.png

The female equivalent of sir is maam. These terms are commonly used in australia and always have been.

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greggerypeccary

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #2 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

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Postmodern Trendoid III Gold Member Offline Posts: 10266 Gender:	Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir Reply #3 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 11:16pm Students use 'sir' regularly toward lecturers and tutors.
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Laugh till you cry Gold Member Offline Posts: 16619 In your happy place Gender:	Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir Reply #4 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 11:42pm Many Ozpolitic denizens appear to like being called sir. Gives them a social lift. Is it just the poms and closet poms who like it?
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Amadd

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #5 - Jul 14^th, 2014 at 11:54pm

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm:

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

Sounds like you would've done zero driving the next day? Wink

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ian

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #6 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 12:08am

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm:

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

You wouldn't like the us then, they use it constantly in service industries. Even the coppers use it, the yanks are incredibly courteous.

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Laugh till you cry

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #7 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 1:19am

ian wrote on Jul 15^th, 2014 at 12:08am:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm:

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

You wouldn't like the us then, they use it constantly in service industries. Even the coppers use it, the yanks are incredibly courteous.

Who is the "us"? Is that the royal "us"?

The use of the word "sir" by many people means that they don't know, they don't want to know or can't even be bothered remembering your name and is often used in a smarmy or facetious manner. I have no belief that the police use sir as an expression of respect. They use it to fend you off and avoid using their name to keep a distance from the person they are dealing with.

Maam is an abbreviation of Madam. A lady who manages a house of ill repute. Like the houses of denizens Mahdi and Hermoine.

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« Last Edit: Jul 15^th, 2014 at 1:40am by Laugh till you cry »

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Sir Spot of Borg Gold Member Offline WE ARE BORG Posts: 26513 Australia	Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir Reply #8 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 5:24am What makes you think its an americanism? We were supposed to call teachers sir @ school. If we didnt we got in trouble. SOB
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Ex Dame Pansi

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #9 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 7:05am

Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 11:16pm:

Students use 'sir' regularly toward lecturers and tutors.

Really? What uni is that?

We called our male teachers sir at school in the fifties and sixties. They now use their title Mr, Mrs or Miss followed by their first or last name.

I never heard one student use sir at uni, we always used their first name.

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Bobby.

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #10 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 7:36am

Laugh till you cry wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:34pm:

... never makes it to Australian culture. If it ever does it must not be gender specific and apply equally to females because there is no female equivalent.

... but wait! It has already corrupted Ozpolitic BBS.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DontCallMeSir_3434.png

The equivalent is Madam.

cheers

Sir Bobby

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greggerypeccary

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #11 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 8:05am

Amadd wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 11:54pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm:

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

Sounds like you would've done zero driving the next day? Wink

That is correct, sir.

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Gnads Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 30182 Gender:	Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir Reply #12 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 8:40am It's called manners .... & as the waiter would not know your name that's what is politely used. Should he just say, "Ey! would you like a bottle of wine?" Mr., Mrs, Miss should always be used unless you've been invited to use first names. Ms. is an invention of the Hairy Armpit brigade.
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Lord Herbert

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #13 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 8:42am

greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 9:02pm:

OK, this is gonna hurt like hell: ian is 100% correct.

I don't like this "sir" business, by the way.

I was at a nice restaurant the other night and the waiters kept calling me "Sir" every five minutes.

I got so fed up with it that I decided not to order the third bottle of wine, and I left and went to the pub instead.

I detest being called "Sir".

Would you have ordered a third bottle if he had called you 'comrade'? Roll Eyes

*******

It was 'Sir' this and 'Sir' that for all the years I was at school in the UK, and this carried over into civilian life outside of school to anyone old enough to be my father.

I cringe when I think of it now.

This habit was quickly put a stop to when I arrived in Australia. Here I learnt it was insulting to 'distance' oneself from an Australian by using the term 'Sir' instead of 'mate'.

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« Last Edit: Jul 15^th, 2014 at 8:53am by Lord Herbert »

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Sprintcyclist

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Re: Let us hope the Americanism of calling people sir
Reply #14 - Jul 15^th, 2014 at 8:55am

Laugh till you cry wrote on Jul 14^th, 2014 at 6:34pm:

... never makes it to Australian culture. If it ever does it must not be gender specific and apply equally to females because there is no female equivalent.

... but wait! It has already corrupted Ozpolitic BBS.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DontCallMeSir_3434.png

Yes Sir/Ma'am

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« Last Edit: Jul 15^th, 2014 at 10:04am by Sprintcyclist »

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