How many woman here hate it when a stranger calls them ma'am personally I hate
this word.I am 40 years old but when someone says ma'am it just sounds like it is for someone much older.I would prefer to br called madam instead.what about the rest of you?

GlindaofOz

The only place I like it is when I go to the southern part of the US. It sounds so lovely with that beautiful southern drawl.

I suppose there are worse things people could say they could just shout out HEY YOU! Or say what do you want lady?

CorrieNB

Im only 25 but i kinda understand I work at a Real Estate office and a gentelman came in the other day and kept calling me ma'am it was kinda annoying. I have a (I dont know if you would say bad or good) habbit of calling people ma'am and sir But that was just the way I was raised. I think most people do it out of respect not because they think you are old.

rankrank55

I live in Tennessee and hear this word used A LOT. I'm 21 and I have people call me ma'am all of the time. It's a culturally regional aspect of the good ole south. In school, we were always taught that out of respect you say "yes ma'am, no sir." I think it's wonderful.

RubyPitbull

LOL. I still remember the first time I was called ma'am. I was 21 and the clerk at the convenience store must have been close to 30. I was livid. Thankfully, as I have gotten older I have chilled. I actually prefer it now. It is a respectful way for someone to address me. I find it more annoying when I am in a restaurant and the waiter who is a teen or college student says: "How are you guys doing?" There is no mistaking me for a man. I am old enough to be his mother's "older yet devastingly more attractive" sister. LOL. All joking aside, it annoys me when someone lumps everyone at the table together and calls us all "guys." I think that shows a major lack of good manners, and the usage of the term "ma'am" shows proper manners.

froggy7

Between the two, I much prefer ma'am. Madam makes it sound like you should be running a brothel.

Realistically, the options are few. Miss, which will get married women and women of a certain age upset. Miz (Ms), which gets the traditionalists upset. Mrs., which gets unmarried women upset (especially if the assumption is then made that a man in the party is her husband!) Ma'am, which some people object to because it sounds old-fashioned or makes them feel old.

But any of those are better than "hey you".

Homegirl 50

Doesn't bother me one bit. It's nice to know there are still folks out there with manners.

Fr_Chuck

Don't come down south then, I was taught to do so in respect, and all of my kids and thier friends do.

It is alwasy yes ma'am and no ma'am.

And it is alot better than "ho" which is used on the street for alot of women now adays

kp2171

would you prefer "sugar" or "honey"?

i agree with those who say its a term of respect, and not reserved for the "old" crowd.

lacuran8626

If the words offend you, ignore them and instead accept the good intentions behind them.

Nobody intends to point out how old you are, and unless you are a teenager, a lot of people will use "Ma'am", particularly if you are married and wear a ring, as "Miss" implies you are unmarried. It's unfortunate there is not a female equivalent of "Sir", which does not connote marital status or make people feel they are viewed at any particular age, but that's just how it is.

People calling you "Ma'am", unless the rest of the statement is rude, are intending to be respectful to you. Accept the fact that someone just extended their respect to you and ignore the word - it will be more pleasant to experience it that way, and you can't change the behavior of strangers you've yet to meet anyway.