is Oklahoma Southern? do they say ma'am?

[Alpo]

In the Northeast United States, women apparently are under the impression that ma'am is an insult. It means old woman.

 

They also apparently believe that in Los Angeles. At least the screenwriters in Los Angeles do. Because frequently, in TV and in movies, somebody will call a woman ma'am and she will get offended.

 

I was watching an NCIS rerun. This was with Kate 3.0. You know first there was Kate. Then she was killed. They replaced her with the Israeli Kate - Kate 2.0. About 8 years later she quit and went back to Israel, and they replaced her with Kate 3.0.

 

This Kate came from Oklahoma.

 

In this particular episode that I was watching someone called her ma'am, and she got bent.

 

"DO I LOOK LIKE A MA'AM TO YOU?????"

 

If she was from New York, or Pennsylvania or Massachusetts, I can see that. But she's from Oklahoma.

 

Don't they say ma'am in Oklahoma?

[DeaconKC]

They sure do!  Usual Hollywierd arrogance/ignorance.

[Stump Water]

If you go around looking to be offended, you will be.

[Cypress Sun]

2 hours ago, Alpo said:

In the Northeast United States, women apparently are under the impression that ma'am is an insult. It means old woman.

 

They also apparently believe that in Los Angeles. At least the screenwriters in Los Angeles do. Because frequently, in TV and in movies, somebody will call a woman ma'am and she will get offended.

 

I was watching an NCIS rerun. This was with Kate 3.0. You know first there was Kate. Then she was killed. They replaced her with the Israeli Kate - Kate 2.0. About 8 years later she quit and went back to Israel, and they replaced her with Kate 3.0.

 

This Kate came from Oklahoma.

 

In this particular episode that I was watching someone called her ma'am, and she got bent.

 

"DO I LOOK LIKE A MA'AM TO YOU?????"

 

If she was from New York, or Pennsylvania or Massachusetts, I can see that. But she's from Oklahoma.

 

Don't they say ma'am in Oklahoma?

 

Was it Wham, Bam, Thank You before the "Ma'am" part?

Could be why she got mad.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

I'm a born and raised Albertan, now living in Central Canada.

Maybe it's my upbringing and Western Roots but, at 81+ I still call some women "Miss" and those of a "Certain Age" "Ma'am"

[Pat Riot]

Visiting Oklahoma as a kid a few times and having a good friend and coworker from there I can tell you that Oklahomans do use the term “Ma’am” and they use it with respect. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Bred, born, and raised in Southern California and I don't recall not using "Ma'am" when addressing adult women, unless I say "Miss" instead.   Or a title,  e.g. "Mrs. Jones" or "Sister Victoir."

 

Females that I'm fairly sure are unmarried, or never married, are "Miss."  A few years ago (OK, probably 10 years ago) in Safeway here in Sonoma County I call the checker, a rather comely young woman of pleasant features and personality with a lovely voice,  "Ma'am," and then asked,  "Or is it 'Miss'?"  And she understood the distinction.   "It's 'Miss,' I've never been married."

 

I think,  as a broad brush generation,  it's more a generational distinction rather than regional.   And,  of course, upbringing. 

[Pat Riot]

3 hours ago, Alpo said:

In the Northeast United States, women apparently are under the impression that ma'am is an insult. It means old woman.

Have you visited and spent time in the Northeast? Because I hear women being called Ma’am quite often and I don’t hear women claiming insult when respectfully called “Ma’am”.

[Alpo]

Women under 30?

[watab kid]

they did back when i lived there for a while back in 81-early 82 , the ladies at the placed i lived called me michael darlin too , 

[Pulp, SASS#28319]

Can’t speak for all us Okies, but I do.

[Stump Water]

What I want to know is why, about ten years ago, everyone started referring to people they know as Mister/Miss first name.

 

Co-Workers: "Mornin' Mister Stump."

 

"What's today's question Mister Alpo?"

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I don't really care how anyone takes it, I was raised to call adult women Ma'am and girls Miss.  Been doing that since I was old enough to talk and am not about to change for some "politically correct" BS.

[Eyesa Horg]

This ↑↑↑ for myself as well.

[Captain Bill Burt]

I don't know from personal experience what OK women prefer in terms of ma'am or miss, but to answer the first part of the thread title, no OK is definitely not southern.

[Alpo]

I've never called anybody miss. Always call them ma'am. I've called girls as young as 3 years old ma'am.

 

Y'all remember the end of Big Jake? Richard Boone is dying and he asked Duke who he is, and Duke says Jacob McCandles, and the little boy's eyes get real big.

 

Little bit later the little boy - who looked like he was maybe 6 years old - says, "Sir?"

 

And Duke replies, "Yes sir?" Not "yeah?" Not "what you want boy?" "Yes sir?"

 

That's it. Respect. You call a male sir or a female ma'am, and that is showing respect.

 

And it don't matter the least little bit how old you are or how old they are. Sir and ma'am.

 

[Whitey James]

The real question is this:

Oklahoma has joined the SEC, does that make them a "Southern state"?

 

 

 

 

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

NOPE , it be Indian land 

[MizPete]

5 hours ago, Stump Water said:

What I want to know is why, about ten years ago, everyone started referring to people they know as Mister/Miss first name.

 

Stumpy, it goes way back further than that.  My parents' very best friends were called Aunt/Uncle + first name.  People who were too close to call Mr/Mrs+last name were Mr/Miss+first name.  I've been Miss Bobbie for decades (unless you're from SC, where I'm Mrs Pete).

[Stump Water]

Hafta take your word for it Miss Bobbie.  I never heard it until relatively recently.

[John Kloehr]

Ma'am is a term of respect, generally. It is madam one must be careful about (even though that is a position of authority).

 

As to what is the south, if I hear buggy, I think the south. Otherwise it is (shopping) cart.

[SHOOTIN FOX]

Ma’am is a term of respect.

Madam is something completely different.

[Eyesa Horg]

2 hours ago, MizPete said:

Stumpy, it goes way back further than that.  My parents' very best friends were called Aunt/Uncle + first name.  People who were too close to call Mr/Mrs+last name were Mr/Miss+first name.  I've been Miss Bobbie for decades (unless you're from SC, where I'm Mrs Pete).

Ellie was called Miss Candy by the little kids at the school here.

[watab kid]

Oklahoma was always a southern state in my lifetime , i agree it was a territory when the lines were drawn between north and south but it was the frontier and the Sothern one based on our pattern of migration and the northern migration both east to west as well as south to north of cattle people , ive looked at the soth to north migration and wondered ////i would like to move south these days , but im not moving back to Oklahoma , thats where i was when i moved here ,