Don't Call Me Ma'am

What does digression taste like? Can you order a salad with chopped digression? I bet it tastes just like chicken.

 

TE="Dwight Ward, post: 535731, member: 1767"]What does digression taste like? Can you order a salad with chopped digression? I bet it tastes just like chicken.[/QUOTE]
That's a pretty safe bet cuz everything tastes like chicken

 

Nope.

 

To retire or not to retire. I am retired and will retire shortly for the evening perchance to read a new tome.

We never retire a thread for we do not ever tire of reviving threads into retreads.

 

Retreaded threads reap rewards.

 

Go Lois, you are on a roll. Retiring soon myself. Just to recap, it hasn't been a good year.

 

You're going to have to borrow @John Brunner 's rimshot.

 

Deal.

 

Ma'am doesn't bother me at all. What does is a fad that seems to have started more than a decade ago and unfortunately is still around: I do NOT like people addressing me as My Dear, Honey, Hun, Sweetie, Sweetheart.. this is not the South where I've heard these terms are common, and it bothers me even more when it comes from young kids.

 

Perhaps it is in line for being a slight paradox for I have a gender and context limit in regard to whom I allow to call me dear but then again I think nothing of it when someone addresses me as “Dear Bobby” as a forward in a letter.
A letter is supposed to be conversational the same as one is speaking face to face so what’s the difference?

I guess as long as someone says, “My dear Bobby” and not “Bobby dear” I can suffer through it.

 

Well, even if letters are personal, there's still a businesslike sense to it. Similar to signing 'Very Truly Yours,' it's not exactly acceptable when speaking to someone.
I agree with what you said about gender and context, though- I'm mainly on the receiving-end from young girls in their late teens or early twenties working as clerks and cashiers in stores, total strangers, and it is disrespectful and condescending.

 

I do address business letters as Dear Sir/Madame as opposed to: To Whom It May Concern. Neither is personal, but the former just sounds better.

On the other hand, I have received letters from business people who open with: Hi There,. Now, I do take umbrage at this form of address since I am not in the least acquainted with the author and it annoys me no end at such insolence.

Ordinarily, I do not get uptight over many infractions of grammatical usage, but Ma'am is just fine, while Hi there is not.