I’m a 40 year d civilian woman who works on a military base. I get called that multiple times a day. It’s respectful. I prefer it to Miss which makes unwarranted assumptions about marital status since people can seem to say Ms. (Miz)

Anonymous wrote:I’m not offended by it but I do not like it and would prefer that it not be used.

+1

This is an area where you can't win. I feel more pissy when I'm called Miss which happens more often. Just call people with some kind of polite address and don't worry about it.

Anonymous wrote:I call everyone sir and ma'am, like if I'm at a store and need to ask an employee, or to address a server at a restaurant. I do it as a sign of respect.

I do the same.

I also don't ever mind being called Ma'am. I've been called much worse in life!

Anonymous wrote:When you are 40-50 bring ma’med is a way of folks letting you know you are “old”. Like calling someone grandma.

r
This. It's not offensive -- it's clearly a polite address -- but calling a woman "ma'am" indicates that she is visibly middle-aged or older, and given that our society generally acts like a woman's value plummets when she's no longer young and hot, many women don't like it.

Anonymous wrote:Ma'am is a contraction of madam. Sometimes when people say "ma'am" they are implying you are the boss of a stable of prostitutes.

That would make me like it more-everybody respects and entrepreneur!

Ma'am is a contraction of madam. Sometimes when people say "ma'am" they are implying you are the boss of a stable of prostitutes.

I don't like it, but it's not offensive. I'm just not a formal person.

In the military, sir and ma'am are used always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excuse me ma’am is considered rude.

Excuse me miss is preferred.

Yes ma’am is not considered rude.

Not true for me. I am over 40. Please do not call me “miss” in any situation. It is condescending.

I agree, but so many women have a weird attitude toward aging. My MIL in her mid 60’s is obsessed with aging and trying to look young. Most women like that are fooling no one.

I am a pp and over 50. I would too be puzzled if someone called me "miss" but I understand there are lots of older women around who don't understand they aren't exactly 20 any more. In the south, I learned to call women "ma'am" once they got married, or if they were over 25 or so!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excuse me ma’am is considered rude.

Excuse me miss is preferred.

Yes ma’am is not considered rude.

Not true for me. I am over 40. Please do not call me “miss” in any situation. It is condescending.

I agree, but so many women have a weird attitude toward aging. My MIL in her mid 60’s is obsessed with aging and trying to look young. Most women like that are fooling no one.

Anonymous wrote:Excuse me ma’am is considered rude.

Excuse me miss is preferred.

Yes ma’am is not considered rude.

Not true for me. I am over 40. Please do not call me “miss” in any situation. It is condescending.

I call everyone sir and ma'am, like if I'm at a store and need to ask an employee, or to address a server at a restaurant. I do it as a sign of respect.

When you are 40-50 bring ma’med is a way of folks letting you know you are “old”. Like calling someone grandma.

Anonymous wrote:Excuse me ma’am is considered rude.

Excuse me miss is preferred.

Yes ma’am is not considered rude.

This boggles my mind. I consider miss and ma'am to be the same, and would only use miss for someone who looks like a teenager or a little girl. But will keep this in mind.