[QUOTE=Uptown Girl;732425]Ma'am is perfectly fine to use- traditional manners in the South, yes?
Kind of a generic way to show respect- by someone who may not know your last name- or know if you are married or single.
More appropriate at our age than "Miss' would be. Never liked Ms.
Sir is my preference for use in male counterpart situations.
REALLY don't like more familiarity, unless someone knows me personally, or I give them permission to do so.[/QUOTE]
My husband and I agree with this. It seems to have started with banks--tellers calling you by your first name. It rubs us the wrong way. Unless we're long-term customers with an establishment, it's like they're reading our first name off of a credit card or check or computer screen. Maybe we're serial killers cashing a bogus check. "Thank you, Cyndy..."
If I'm not introduced by someone using their first name, I don't presume to use it.
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