Is it just me? "Miss" prefix before my first name makes me feel old.

CarolfromTX said:
Well, here in the South, it's a term of both endearment and respect. For example, if you're a friend of a family and close to their children, the kids would call you Miss Mary, rather than Mrs. Smith. So no, I don't mind.
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Similar to what I saw in the South. For adults, regardless of age or marital status, it was always Miss. FirstName, or, if male, Mr. FirstName.
 
Bonnie said:
Just everyday language in the South ... I really never give it any thought.
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I had a somewhat humorous experience. I went into a business one morning, and when I noticed the person I was looking for wasn't at her desk, I asked one of her coworkers who was passing by "Is Mrs. Smith here yet?" He was totally confused by the question til I pointed toward her desk, and then he replied "Oh, you mean Miss. Mary!" :ROFLMAO: Being from the Northeast, I'd never heard that approach before!!
 
Any are preferable to "Hey, you" and a lot is just local custom. In a business, it's probably how the clerk has been instructed to address customers.
 
QuickSilver said:
Miss is an unmarried... or never married woman. I will never be a Miss... Mrs. the proper title for a woman who is currently married.. or has been divorced or widowed.
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After being dumped and getting divorced, I certainly don't want to be reminded of my mistake by being called MRS! That's why I changed my name back to my maiden name. But, I'm not fond of 'mam' - seems rather sexist, as I feel it is referring to the fact that I have mammary glands! I'm happiest without any sort of personalized greeting.
 
Em in Ohio said:
After being dumped and getting divorced, I certainly don't want to be reminded of my mistake by being called MRS! That's why I changed my name back to my maiden name. But, I'm not fond of 'mam' - seems rather sexist, as I feel it is referring to the fact that I have mammary glands! I'm happiest without any sort of personalized greeting.
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I think it's actually a shortened form of 'Madam'
 
SeaBreeze said:
I only experienced someone calling me Miss before my first name a couple of times by a coworker years ago. He was not that much younger than me, so I just assumed it was a form of respect, and not necessarily of old age. I do believe that Miss before a first name has southern roots.
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During the many years when I worked for pre-schools, we were all addressed as Miss 'X' - Age or marital status had nothing to do with it. So, it can be a northern thing that we inherited from the south, perhaps. I would have preferred a first-name basis, myself.
 
An operator on the phone the other day put Miss in front of my first name and it bothered me because she said it real cutesy-like...I sort of felt insulted at that. But I blew it off. When I was younger people would do it and it wouldn't bother me but now I'd really just rather be called by my first name without a miss or missus attached. I know people will still do it, though, and I'll continue to blow it off.
 
I’ve been using Ms for about thirty years. Even when I was married. I never liked Miss as it sounds girly. And I never liked Mrs - men are just Mr whether they are married or not. It does annoy me when people address me as Mrs, making the assumption that at my age I must be married(same as they assume I have children and grandchildren, which I don’t)
 
Em in Ohio said:
During the many years when I worked for pre-schools, we were all addressed as Miss 'X' - Age or marital status had nothing to do with it. So, it can be a northern thing that we inherited from the south, perhaps. I would have preferred a first-name basis, myself.
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I actually addressed this on two different forums a few years ago (regional differences, I mean). People of all ages responded, showing it is not a generational topic. Individuals from my home area said they address people as Mr./Mrs.LastName, individuals from casual areas said they were always on a first-name basis with everybody, and the Southerners piped up with Ma'am/Sir.
 
MarciKS said:
I don't have a problem with being called Ma'am or Miss. Beats having them say hey you.
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It doesn't bother me in person, but it does in writing. "HEY!" is simply not an appropriate way to address someone. From my experiences, it started more than a decade ago, and is still going on. A few days ago, for example, I received a text from the grocery store letting me know the order was on its way. 'HEY! Your order will be delivered shortly!' :mad:

Worse, though, is the honey/sweetie/sweetheart people have been complaining about around the web for the last decade. I actually stopped shopping at one store because teenage cashiers were always going 'Hi Honey! Hi Sweetheart!' :mad: And that annoying trend hasn't ended, either.
 
JaniceM said:
I actually addressed this on two different forums a few years ago (regional differences, I mean). People of all ages responded, showing it is not a generational topic. Individuals from my home area said they address people as Mr./Mrs.LastName, individuals from casual areas said they were always on a first-name basis with everybody, and the Southerners piped up with Ma'am/Sir.
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Hi Janice - Here is a confession. I find that I may be sexist, or just stuck in old ways. I do still address men as Sir or Mr. (Food for self-contemplative thought)
 
CarolfromTX said:
Well, here in the South, it's a term of both endearment and respect. For example, if you're a friend of a family and close to their children, the kids would call you Miss Mary, rather than Mrs. Smith. So no, I don't mind.
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They don't like us using those terms at work either. I come from that kind of setting so it's hard to keep from using those terms.
 

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