Being called "Lady"

ceecee1

Just be grateful....I was waiting for a bus a few years ago and there were loads of young teenage lads making a bit of a nuisance of themselves.
Bus came and they all rushed for the door, only for one of them to say ....' let the old lady get on first'
I looked around and couldn't see one so I just thanked them .

I was only in my 40's.....

heartbreak_star

Bah, to teenagers everyone over 25 is old

HBS x

stir_crazy

I tend to call strangers ladies or gentlemen, it seems more polite.
I much prefer being called "the lady" to "the woman" or, god forbid, "that wifie".
Although I'd be much happier if anyone called me "the (young?) lassie" again.

ginger_tony

I think its polite for someone to call you a lady ,l would refer to a woman over teenage years as a lady and would mean it in the nicest possible way. I think its sad to think someone maybe offended by this.

Pennywise2012

I think it depends on the age of the beholder - I'd think of someone older than me as 'the lady' and someone younger as 'the girl'. Having said that, i was still mortified the first time I was called 'the lady'!

Regarding US manners, when I was in Florida, the children would call me Miss Penny. I liked that, because it's less formal than Miss Wise, but more respectful than just Penny. I don't know if it's just a southern thing or if it's widespread in the US?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

I always say Lady or Gentleman when it is an adult - Obviously if it is a child I would say girl / boy.

I much prefer "Lady" than "that woman"

olibrofiz

I would prefer being called lady than woman, and use the word lady or gentleman myself to describe someone i've spoken to on the phone etc

I prefer it to being called love which i'm frequently called by the 20 year olds i talk to

and i prefer it to being called a guy as in 'are you guys going to the canteen' - according to the person that says it, it's the politically correct way to address people, male or female, and she persists

Mojisola

olibrofiz wrote: »

and i prefer it to being called a guy as in 'are you guys going to the canteen' - according to the person that says it, it's the politically correct way to address people, male or female, and she persists

I don't know about politically correct. I picked it up from some Americans I worked with - "guys" just seemed to equal "people" and wasn't gender specific whereas "guy" (singular) still was.

olibrofiz

Mojisola wrote: »

I don't know about politically correct. I picked it up from some Americans I worked with - "guys" just seemed to equal "people" and wasn't gender specific whereas "guy" (singular) still was.

she says it's the politically correct way to address a group of people as it's not gender specific, i however think it is - a guy, or guys, is a gentleman/men

Bangton

I know what your saying about the lady thing. All of a sudden I was no longer 'girl' but 'lady' instead. Stung a bit..I won't lie! Thing is...I don't even know what I'd prefer..woman? no.. her? no... that person? not really...