At what age should you start calling people mister/misses?

[Diocletian]

I find myself troubled w/ this question. I know a few people older than me in real life & don't know how I should refer to them.

Two questions for the price of one thread. Should you treat them as equals if they're 21 & you're 13-17?

[BestFly]

It's more or less a familiarity thing then anything else. If you're like 16, and you know a 21 year old. Chances are they wont care if you call them by there first name. Adding Mr and Mrs to peoples names is like an honorary title of respect.

Chances are if you called someone Mr or mrs whoever when you were 12 you will continue to call them that even when you're like 30. Same if you've been on a first name basis, only to the opposite extreme.

[Red&Stiletto]

I think its all a matter of how comfortable you are with a person and how well you know them. Its that and also a personal preference issue. It depends mostly on each individual relationship.

[MomijiTMO]

Gotta say I only did that to my teachers in school. I don't address people other than their first name OR it's some reject person with a PhD who insists on being called Dr in which case my contact with them will be limited.

[Aushkei Ver]

You know, I've never thought of the age difference when I refer to people as miss or mister.
I normally just use mister or misses when I'm not too close to the person, I don't want to make a bad impression by just calling them by their name or something else.
Formalities I guess.

[Myrra]

If in doubt, ask.
Some people prefer you call them by their proper name.
Some prefer a title and their last name.
Some like, me go by Miss/Mister first name.
And some prefer you not call them at all :p

And as someone who works with itty bitty kids, I always ask to be called by Miss and first name...Miss Myrra.
Even the older kids call me that as I feel old when called Ms + last name.

[kenny_killer]

erm.. dbl post... sry.

[kenny_killer]

I call girls who I think are more mature than me Lady. Which is mass majority of them.
...
Just thought that would have some correlation to what you were asking..

[Eris]

You shouldn't. If someone wants me to call them mister, they'll have to change their name to mister.

[MomijiTMO]

I get a feeling that this is quite specific to your culture so it's interesting to see the responses.

[Eris]

I get a feeling that this is quite specific to your culture so it's interesting to see the responses.

Indeed. Sweden abolished all titles in the '60s.

[MomijiTMO]

lol

It's not like I'm rude or something but in general it's RUDE to approach someone with the Sir or Ma'am title too. AFAIK that's polite in the States.

[Eris]

lol

It's not like I'm rude or something but in general it's RUDE to approach someone with the Sir or Ma'am title too. AFAIK that's polite in the States.

The reasoning in moose-land was that you are your person, and not your position, so we scrapped all use of the equivalent of mister, sir, director, officer, doctor, etc. and just use people's names instead.

[Amray The II]

I will call someone "Your Highness" for the sake of sarcasm when they order me to do things.

[Kojack]

I usually address people around my own age or above as sir or ma'am/miss. But if there is someone younger going out and about by themselves, I will address them as sir/miss because of their independence.

Though, because of Taekwondo class I'm used to addressing everyone and their mother with sir or ma'am/miss.

[drm0ney]

I usually address people around my own age or above as sir or ma'am/miss.

Though, because of Taekwondo class I'm used to addressing everyone and their mother with sir or ma'am/miss.

:yeahthat: Most people I try and be polite to.

>.> Though some people look at you oddly when I'm all "yes ma'am". (the tkd thing <.<;;; )

[Khanxay]

Whenever they're gained enough of my respect and it doesn't sound entirely silly. I don't do it by age.

[Capernicus]

It depends on their preferences. I call the Children's Pastor at church Mr. Mark and the kids call me Ms. Mary. When I'm working in public school I get called Ms. [last name] and I call the master teacher Mrs. Burdeaux. o.o Everyone else I prefer my first name, just ordinary. I do the same unless otherwise prompted. Oh but I call my professors Professor or Dr. Bergner (or whoever it happens to be).

However, at work I call all the customers sir or ma'm. Even if they're 10. -_-

[CilegnaHeart]

I'm 16 & I address people who are younger than me as mister, misses, ma'am, sir, miss ... all that, hehe, but thats just me.
If a 21 year old gets along with you and your like... 14 then you guys just get a lot. If they dont want you to refer to them as sir or misses then dont. . .
I just met this guy named Lee & he was 24, we got a long great. We had fun that day.. lol, good times.

[jtdlives]

I hate it when people address me as mister. It makes me feal so old. I usally tell people to address me by 1st name only. My boss sometimes will call me mister 1st name just to annoy me, but it usally depends on the person. So just ask what they want to be addressed as.

[Saint Seiya]

when i was a kid and even now i refer to old people -40's and up- as Mr or Mrs and i call young people by their names people that are in their 20's 30's.

[Diocletian]

The reasoning in moose-land was that you are your person, and not your position, so we scrapped all use of the equivalent of mister, sir, director, officer, doctor, etc. and just use people's names instead.

But what about a teacher? You can't just say Smith. Of course it would be terrible to not call my school janitor Janitor Kyle anymore.

[Eris]

But what about a teacher? You can't just say Smith. Of course it would be terrible to not call my school janitor Janitor Kyle anymore.

In Sweden, teachers are lucky if they get called their name, since the most common way to address a teacher is "miss". This goes for teachers of all ages ad genders.

[BestFly]

But what about a teacher? You can't just say Smith. Of course it would be terrible to not call my school janitor Janitor Kyle anymore.

Well in my school like we said mr or mrs or miss for the teachers. Because there was a sense of authority etc. In college you call everyone professor anyways, they like dont have names in college. xD.

[kakashiskitty]

i personally think what you call someone is really just a matter of how well you know the person, naturally if you've never met them your going to be more formal

[╬Karami Mew~Meow]

Oh goodnezz! That was one of the hardest adjustments to me since I came here in US, cuz I hear kids calling 20 years older ppl than them, as just there first name. And I would always get pissed, but now I just get annoyed. Since in my country or like Japan, they have names for elders etc to be respectful. So for me, I find it rude or just uncomfortable calling someone older than you as just their first name.
And, to me, I prefer to look up to them more, since they've lived on this world longer, and more experience. [weather what they've been doing]

[Akihiko Yamamoto Hozagaki]

I personally hate those words, god knows why, but I don't like them. I guess any age could work. Everyone who can comprehend respect, deserves it. They're supposed to be honorifics, right XD?

[BestFly]

Oh goodnezz! That was one of the hardest adjustments to me since I came here in US, cuz I hear kids calling 20 years older ppl than them, as just there first name. And I would always get pissed, but now I just get annoyed. Since in my country or like Japan, they have names for elders etc to be respectful. So for me, I find it rude or just uncomfortable calling someone older than you as just their first name.
And, to me, I prefer to look up to them more, since they've lived on this world longer, and more experience. [weather what they've been doing]

but in japan isint there like a suffix at the end of like every name? I mean at least in America we do have prefixes for people who are younger, but no one uses them anymore.

[Yugure's Goddess]

About the age that they become my parent, boss or teacher. That's about it. Oh! And the chaperons that help out the band, but that's just because I love that they're doing so much for us with no real payment in return.

<3 Dani

[BestFly]

You shouldn't. If someone wants me to call them mister, they'll have to change their name to mister.

Lol just thinking

Sometimes if someone is like really picky about it for no reason at all I start adding "The Great" at the end of their name.

[Liquidus Zeromus]

If they're 18+ and they deserve it.

You absolutely must call me "Mister".

*points to avatar*

[BestFly]

If they're 18+ and they deserve it.

You absolutely must call me "Mister".

*points to avatar*

Ok

Mr. zeromus......the great.

[Liquidus Zeromus]

You don't recognise my avatar, then. -______-

[None of the above]

Never been asked to call someone Miss/Misses/Mister/Dr./etc

I, myself, hate to be called Miss. Out of politeness, I will adress though older people and strangers with the 2nd Person plural [which is something completely different in other languages than English].

Teachers I noticed like to be called ' Mr/Ms/Mrs' while young professors are asking the students to adress them directly, on the second name.
Depends on every person and situation.

PS. What I can't really get into my habbit is to call 'important' people ' her/his Excellency '. So ridiculous.

[SigmaSD]

Out of politeness, I will adress though older people and strangers with the 2nd Person plural [which is something completely different in other languages than English].



Yep, I tend to do the same thing when speaking in Spanish. It's funny because most of my college professors prefer it when their students refer to them by their first name, but I have such a problem getting used to it since I've been calling teachers by Ms, Mr, or Mrs for a long time.

I think people should only refer to people as either Ms. or Mr. if everyone else around them refers to them the same way.

[saskie]

Um... I don't believe there should be an age range. I find it difficult to call someone older than me, that has career, by their first name. For example, in University, the professors ask you to call them by their first name. I find it difficult to call another student, that is older than me, by their first name too. I guess in school, they make you say "Miss/Mrs/Mr" for so long, it kinda stuck on with you. =P

[Mayonnaise-Senpai]

Good question.

I'm not really sure. I call adults over the age of 25 Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. (Depending). If they were family and they were my cousins, they would be the exception because they are my cousins! They're family. Hypothetically speaking. But it's all out of respect so I guess it doesn't matter if they are over the age of 21.

[kenny_killer]

Indeed. Sweden abolished all titles in the '60s.

really? well how are you suppose to show respect to people with doctorates.

[Liquidus Zeromus]

It would be cool if people could make up their own titles <_<

But where would the fun be in calling yourself "King" or "Doctor" without having done anything to deserve such a title?

[Eris]

really? well how are you suppose to show respect to people with doctorates.

The point is to make it so that you don't have to grovel before people in higher positions than you, that well paying jobs and lots of education does not warrant some sort of inherent respect you shouldn't give to everyone, irregardless of position and social standing.

[Liquidus Zeromus]

I agree if you're talking about hereditary nobility and "royalty". Unless they really are worthy of such a privilege, I'm not calling anyone by such a title.

[Zombiliciouss]

Depends on who and what they've done.

Some guy on the street who I just met-first name
Some people who demond respect-Mr. or Mrs.

I don't care how old you are, it's more about your title and my relationship to that title

[ElderSage]

lol to be honest this is a great question. I get called Mr. all the time and I'm only 23 lmfao. I personally feel that it's for much older ppl and I hate it when they call ppl call me that :p

[Acnologia]

I'll call people "DR" when they spend the years in university to earn it. :p
If someone is a stranger, and are older than me, I'll call them "Sir" or "Mam"
I only use "Mr" or "Mrs" if I know their last name.

[Persistance]

I call people Mr or Miss if I respect them and know them. I call all others sir/ma'am if they are older than I am and are complete strangers. I call people Dr. if they have earned that right. And ElderSage, there's nothing wrong with being called Mr. :p

[Perpetual Specter]

I only call people mister/misses when I feel I must in order to not start something, especially if they're a nag on that kind of thing. I really don't like doing it though. I call people Dr... when they are in fact a doctor. But calling people Mr/Ms/Mrs to me is like some form of social ranking. >>;

Edit: The Mr/Ms/Mrs complaint excludes teachers for me.

[Neko Victoria]

I usuawy just call evwyone mistew an misses, dey dun seem to mind. ^^

[WinterDream]

Well for the first question:They are equal to you,no matter what age.

I still think it would be polite to call someone "Mister" or "Misses".I think the age diffrence for calling them those should be about 5to10years?

[Mitchyru]

I think any age is fine.

[Gizoku]

When to call someone Mr. or Mrs. (for me): When older than you, not exactly close to the person, or an official title (like a teacher or such)