Should I resent being called Madam in my early thirties?

Question

Shop assistants, trying to sound posh and polite, keep calling me Madam. I'm not old or old fashioned looking. But when I get called Madam it makes me cringe and feel old. Should the expression Madam just be used when speaking to elderly ladies?

Answer 1

yes it seems to be an American thing that is now very much part of aus & to be honest i dont like it & I'm older than you lol
a plain thank you or just excuse me etc & no Madam at all

Answer 2

everyone is different, it's impossible to know what people prefer to be called. And there is always a chance you will offend someone. It's no big deal, it's just a polite way of addressing a female, just like sir is a polite way of addressing a male. Most people do not have ESP, and cannot possibly know what you prefer being called. Anything besides sir or madam might be considered rude by some people!

Answer 3

In strictly proper use, "madam" is a polite form of address to a married woman. If you're single, you can politely correct those who call you madam. But you shouldn't be offended by it in any case; I dislike being called "sir," but I figure if the person addressing me has manners that good, I'm not going to complain. Enjoy the respect.

Answer 4

They are not trying to get your goat, just tell them you prefer ____ Whatever it is you prefer, Mrs, Miss, Ms. Madam is used out of respect and addresses all females over school age. They don't know your last name so Madam is the proper way to address you.

Answer 5

Go for it! @ David And you think the closest to true Biblical doctrine are the fundies who emerged only in the 19th century. < Catholic and orthodox both teach works for salvation, which is against Jesus's free gift of salvation. > Like many nutjob fundie cultists, you are a liar. The Catholic Church (and I am sure also the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches) teach that we are save by God's grace. @ Parish < I'm afraid you are only going to be disappointed by looking in all the wrong places trying to learn about early Christianity. Its all recorded in the Bible. > Everything is in the Bible? You probably have not read your Bible in full. John 21:25 - And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. [NKJV] < Many people in those days could not read the Bible and even today many cannot read the Bible. They have eyes but cannot see, have ears but cannot hear. > True many people in those days could not read the Bible. And even if they could it was not readilly available then. Do you know when the printing press was invented? In the first century, they did not even have the Bible. What they had were the the Septuagint (which by the way included books you did not consider inspired but the early Christians did) several gospels (yes there were more than 4 circulating then) several book of acts (yes, there were several not jut one) and some epistles (including the epistles of Clement) and other books. The Catholic Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, determined which books were divinely inspired and compiled and canonized them in the 4th as the Bible we now know. Even before the compilation and canonization of the Bible, the people had the Church who guided them. Of course there were also heretics who taught false doctrines and tried to confuse the early Christians. These heretics were very much like you fundies are now. ---- @ grraartist < Also read about the Waldeneces and the Ana Baptists, as they followed the original gospels and the Bible explicitly. > The Waldenses is a heretical sect which appeared in the second half of the 12th century. Among the doctrinal errors which they propagated was the denial of purgatory, and of indulgences and prayers for the dead. The early Christians prayed for the dead and believed in the intercession of angels and saints. The Anabaptists were a violent and extremely radical body of ecclesiastico-civil reformers which first made its appearance in 1521 at Zwickau, in the present kingdom of Saxony. Anabaptists rejected conventional Christian practices such as wearing wedding rings, taking oaths, and participating in civil government. They adhered to a literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount and Believer's baptism. @ Pastor Art < Error was beginning to creap into the early church duing the 1st century. > Are you calling Jesus Christ a liar??? Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church (Matt 16:18) meaning it will not fall into doctrinal error.

Answer 6

i read once its proper to call anyone over the age of 25 maam or madam. so if youre over 25 thats normal. thats usually when it starts 25-30-35 depending on how old you look. how old you look doesnt always mean old. could you perhaps look dated and not realize it? you could be wearing clothing that is only fashionable to your generation. yes, you might be changing with the times. but even if you are stylish, generations still have their preferred styles. take the gap. i read that women who are 35 to 45 love the gap more than any other age group. so lets say you are wearing a lot of gap. that could inadvertently date you, especially to the younger and more sensitive eye of your cashier, hairstylist, etc. also, women naturally become more confident and hold themselves higher as they get older, so it could be that too. i wouldnt take it personal. i would take it a sign of respect.

Answer 7

I'm only 24 and some people already call me madam...it is hectic! But it is polite, would you like it if they said:" Hey you, you wanna buy this product?" NOOOOO! So yes it hurts, making us feel old. But you keep telling yourself, that you are only as old as you feel.

Answer 8

No not really it is all where you are from I am in my twenties and I have called ladies in retail stores younger than me Ms. and Madam. It is just respect

Answer 9

Hi
You should not mimd/ its a kind of respect in a way n also depends how u handle people/ I would hve said hellow sister/ Do u mind that also. Googd u hve this feeling of being young/ this is a welcome feature/ u are not old at this age/ people fall in love at this age because true love one can understand when one is matured n u r matured enough to fall in love/ by the way r u in love? Dont get upset/ this question is being asked by a friend/ my friend ur. My email id is [e-mail]

Answer 10

Would you rather be called Sir.? Or babe.? How about Hey you.?

It is out of respect that they call you madam. It has nothing to do with your age.