Ma'am is fine. Honey or sweetie is sorta OK from a female waitress, teller, saleswoman (mostly because I believe they are trying to be endearing). But, absolutely never from a male waiter, salesman, doctor etc. I do not liked to be called by my 1st name by ANY of the above people. And if someone really wants to p*ss me off, shorten my given name. Only my family and very, very, very close friends have permission to shorten my name. In fact, if I answer the phone and someone calls me by my shortened first name, I'll likely hang up.

So...um...I take it your last name isn't um...Q?

;)

Is your shortened first name the same as your screen name, Suzi? I have a good friend named Suzanne and have always known her as Suzi. But I can't imagine some stranger calling her Suzi.

You crack me up. You not only are smart, but really funny too. I'm often chuckling when I read your posts. Since I have outlived most of my small little family, I have very few people anymore that call me Suzi. Hubby rarely calls me anything but "babe" or "toots". He introduces me by my given name. Therefore, if someone were to call me Suzi, I guess I would think that they were trying to be too familiar (fresh) with me.

I think of myself as normal in every other way though.

Suz, I hate when people shorten my name also. I would never do that

What would Gracie say....oh yeah "boy howdy". Opened a can of worms, didn't I. Guys always find that little sore spot....and go after it. Yeah, my husband would too. OK Doug, I'll give up early.

Here, soecially at codys, sakura and tgif, servers have called ys honey.
I think i am ok w it but, depending on the tone the ' honey' is said. For me, it is thw TONE in which it is used
At times, it has bothered me.

I do know a lady whose given name is Honey.
(Just thought I'd throw that one in)

I've noticed that a lot of clerks and servers (young or old) around here work in "hon" or "sweetie" somewhere in conversations to both me or my wife: "Thanks, sweetie. You have a nice day!" or, "The doctor will be in shortly, hon." I don't mind it and have, as an inside joke to myself, starting calling them "dear" in return.

Otherwise, I prefer my first name to be used instead of "sir" and kind of don't like being addressed as "Mr. Something" at all. Maybe because the only people who "Mr." me are telemarketers.

But then, I was raised in the very casual-verging-on-hippy Chico, CA, where everyone called people by their first names (or just "hey, man") and there was nary a ma'am or sir to be heard. It comes off as insincere or pompous to me, although I know it's not meant that way.

Someone called my older sister ma'am once when she was in her early twenties and she nearly decked the guy. I still remember that!

The shortened version of Suzi is Su. See? :laugh:

If you don't know my name you can call me Captain, although I prefer Admiral!

I did too. Her friends called her Ho

So?

I am a Miss, and don't like being called Mrs.---
southern respectful youngsters used to use the proper title and last name, but now seem to prefer the first...as in Miss Kitty.

Hmm... when I was student teacher in Atlanta in 1969, it was customary for kids to call their teachers Miss plus their first name, even if the teacher was married. My dil's students call her Miss Jodi even though she's a Mrs.

When we were getting our FL drivers licenses and car registration here last month, the lady called me Miss Cyndy and my husband Mr. Raymond. We thought it was a southern custom. Yes? No?

One of my coworkers in my company's corporate office in Houston who I deal with a lot via e-mail and telephone always calls me "Miss Laura" when we speak on the phone. So maybe it is a southern custom?