Being called "Lady"

miss_independent

I'm just curious. This week I've been referred to loads of times as "The Lady".

Eg. "Jack, can't you see the Lady is trying to pass?"

"Are you the Lady who was speaking just now?"

"The Lady is here about x"

"Who was the Lady who came over and spoke to me?" someone asked my friend about me today.

I'm in my late twenties and to me I don't really refer to anyone under the age of 65 as "The Lady". Lady to me = twinset, pearls and a blue rinse. Its making me feel old. Especially as its happened four times today!

Looking back it actually started when I was at senior school and some of my teachers used to refer to me as a "Lady". I don't know...it's making me paranoid!

Did you feel "old" the first time someone called you "the Lady"?

DUTR

I never get called lady
At work when I was leaving I said "goodnight ladies"
I was semi chastised, apparently there is some sort of PC with the desription of ladies, the next day when I was leaving I said "goodnight my female colleagues"
I was still in the wrong, but then I'm only a bloke

Lunar_Eclipse

miss_independent wrote: »

Did you feel "old" the first time someone called you "the Lady"?

No! It's not a term related to age, I use it all the time, simply to mean 'female adult'.

How else do you describe someone of 20 or 75? Woman sounds so odd. Basically, I use it when I feel girl is inappropriate.

miss_independent

DUTR wrote: »

I never get called lady
At work when I was leaving I said "goodnight ladies"
I was semi chastised, apparently there is some sort of PC with the desription of ladies, the next day when I was leaving I said "goodnight my female colleagues"
I was still in the wrong, but then I'm only a bloke

IMO there is nothing wrong with saying "Goodnight Ladies"?!

How would you feel if you were always referred to as "the gentleman"?

caeler

I got called lady last week. I didn't take it as a generic term or a compliment. Strange huh.

Torry_Quine

Here it would probably be the wifie. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

miss_independent

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

No! It's not a term related to age, I use it all the time, simply to mean 'female adult'.

How else do you describe someone of 20 or 75? Woman sounds so odd. Basically, I use it when I feel girl is inappropriate.

I don't know... round here most people would say "Girl", "Woman", "Young Woman" or, in a formal setting, "Young Lady."

It just happened so many times today that it struck me as odd. I was at a very informal party and was one of the youngest people there so it seemed odd to be referred to as "Lady" by....little old ladies lol!

amyloofoo

I always refer to colleagues / patients as 'ladies'. Not sure why really, but I think it's more respectful than 'girls' and 'women' just sounds weeeeird. I don't think it's an age thing... most of our ladies are in their 20s.

coolcait

It's a sad rite of passage -

the one which involves moving on from being 'the girl', 'the wee lassie', 'the lassie'...

and becoming 'the woman', 'the wumman', or 'thon wumman'. :eek::(

Personally, I prefer it when someone calls me 'the lady', or 'that lady', or 'this lady'.

So, if I'm referring to female strangers, I'll say 'this lady'. If I'm referring to male strangers, I'll say 'this gentleman'.

If they prefer to be referred to as 'thon wee wumman', or 'yon fella there', all they have to do is say so....

miss_independent

Lol...it's completely just me then! At least it's better than when I'm in the USA and get referred to as Ma'am.

miss_independent

coolcait wrote: »

It's a sad rite of passage -

the one which involves moving on from being 'the girl', 'the wee lassie', 'the lassie'...

and becoming 'the woman', 'the wumman', or 'thon wumman'. :eek::(

Personally, I prefer it when someone calls me 'the lady', or 'that lady', or 'this lady'.

So, if I'm referring to female strangers, I'll say 'this lady'. If I'm referring to male strangers, I'll say 'this gentleman'.

If they prefer to be referred to as 'thon wee wumman', or 'yon fella there', all they have to do is say so....

That's a good point... I'm more used to being referred to as "thon wee lassie" and, in my family (though I'm in my late 20's!) "the Bairn" and "The Wean" :rotfl: