Is it an AMERICAN thing???

[TheBears 9]

I dunno. My best friend's mom has been Miss Debbie to me for more than 15 years. It's stuck. To just call her Debbie feels weird. Almost like calling my own mother by her first name instead of Mom.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I am from the South and I have always heard it here.

I wonder if South Carolina is on the "edge" of the South.. I actually haven't heard "miss" around here, but have been called ma'am a lot of times, and mostly by friends of mine!

[Malrothien 6]

Yeah, I'd call it a southernly, rural small town thing. I went out for dinner a few nights ago with my husband and his parents and the waiter kept referring to me as 'miss'... it was the FIRST time EVER I kept thinking 'miss, I'm a Ma'am'!... I dunno what got into me. I usually miss 'miss'. lol

It isn't rural - unless you consider Orlando to be rural.

i am in Washington State outside of Tacoma...

and i am not bashing it...it is just something different I am not used to..after all..at 44 I am far past a MISS!!!

It is either Miss 'first name' or Mrs. 'last name'. Really nothing to do with marital state - I call my grandmother's 80 year old Sunday school teacher Miss.

I wonder if South Carolina is on the "edge" of the South.. I actually haven't heard "miss" around here, but have been called ma'am a lot of times, and mostly by friends of mine!

I'll have to see, since I'll be in SC in a week.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I'll have to see, since I'll be in SC in a week.

Cool! If you DO hear it anywhere, let me know where! I really haven't heard it around this place. It might be used in Charleston a little more. Probably not Myrtle Beach.

But now that it's been brought to my attention...my ears are going to be perked up to it!

I also call women "miss" I've done it for years. When I worked at Curves, and members came in to do their workout, I'd say "good morning miss (name)" Most of the ladies laughed, and only about one or two were offended!

[JeanneVictoria 55]

I loved living in areas that people would adress me as "miss Jeanne"! It's like a breath of fresh air! It has nothing to do with

being "old". It's just a sign of respect from that person. My husband is Egyptian and he addresses people as "mr John"

or "miss Joan". He has always done this as a sign of respect to whom he is speaking with. I think it's wonderful that he does.

[brightskte 18]

We do the Miss thing here in Kentucky. I would never ever dare call my elders something other than Miss or Mr, I wasn't raised that way. Other people that I meet are Miss until I know them well enough to be on a first name basis.

And when I was little if we didn't offer a visitor a drink my great-grandmother used to make us go pick out our own switch from the tree. Course she never used that switch but we were so worried that we always picked the little ones.

[minnew 4]

It's definitely not just a southern thing and definitely not just rural. I've lived in two states in the Midwest and never outside city limits.

Not just the kids or clients call each their caregivers "miss" or "mr" but I've seen it where coworkers call each other, I guess it's a better way than just yelling your name when they need you! LOL!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

It's definitely prevalent in the South. I had encountered it only once before with a friend of a friend who had his two young boys address me as Miss Kathryn and he would do the same. This was actually in Michigan but I don' t know where this man was originally from - it may have been the South. I do know that once I moved to Georgia, everyone uses it! In the doctor's office, at work, with neighbours , if you are a woman you are addressed by Miss followed by your first name, whether you are married or single, young or old. One of my co-workers was 82 years old - and she was Miss Norma. It is definitely a respect thing and now I am used to it, it doesn't bother me at all. It was just somewhat strange at first to be calling older, married women 'Miss".

[ashenflowers 5]

Sorry, I should explain, by 'rural' I meant rural areas in Canada, not the U.S. I know it's not just a 'rural' thing in the U.S. The area I'm in now is not rural either, by any means. But where I grew up, and where Sam grew up (1/2 hour away! lol), it's... very rural. But I still only really associate it with school.

Edited April 4, 2010 by ashenflowers

[Udella&Wiz 325]

American for sure.....even though I grew up in Southern ON...my small church school had many american folks in the congregation...many of my friend's moms were American coincidentally. We addressed all the female teachers as 'Miss Edith, Miss Barbara, Miss Joan etc.... no matter how old they were. A contrast to how most in Canada might say Miss Smith or Ms Smith....it's a nice touch without being too familiar and a touch of respect at the same time I think.

I find in VA its also a bit of a black/ African American tradition as well. I just get a kick out of addressing my finance person at work as Miss Belinda So does she... It's just sweet.

[warlord 72]

I did it when I was a kid, but that was to teachers in Canada and Australia. I use it here when texting or talking to a good friend (potential crush) as a fun term of endearment (usually followed by a nickname I have given them), though never use it seriously. I don't use it formally or to anyone that is just a regular friend...

Edited April 5, 2010 by warlord

[Varba 0]

One variant of it that I had a hard time getting used to was a group I stayed with down in Birmingham AL. They taught their kids that the respect prefixes were "brother" or "sister".

But again, it was only for people that were their elders... I was brother Varba the whole time I was there.

The whole Miss/Ma'am thing, I often do, especially if I don't know the person or am talking to them on the phone. My brother in law (from NC) calls everyone ma'am up here.

[Gypsyangel 11]

It's in New Jersey too. At least in South Jersey. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on, but it is meant to be respectful. It's just a little foreign and takes some getting used to. I think it's kinda cute.

[justucia 0]

I dunno. My best friend's mom has been Miss Debbie to me for more than 15 years. It's stuck. To just call her Debbie feels weird. Almost like calling my own mother by her first name instead of Mom.

this!^^^^^

im from michigan- i never would have dreamed of calling my moms friends just by their first names

i still don't

always used a miss or mrs. when addressing an adult

[lilacvioletiris 11]

I live in Michigan as well. I call my coworkers Mr. Mrs. or Miss dependant on marital status because it is a sign of respect. My coworkers are often "You can call me Wayne (or insert other first name here)" but it just doesn't feel right to me. I have a family where I am "Miss Carla" to their kids but they are from the Southern U.S. originally. I think regionality has a lot to do with it.