(no subject)

[trinityvixen]

What the shit is up with me like never getting lunch any more!? AM VERY CRANKY.

Also, apparently I talk faster than bigscary 'cause the lady at the doctor's office couldn't hardly understand me and she told me straight out that I talk too fast. She also called me "ma'am." Can I just say that I HATE THAT WORD? Perhaps it's overreacting, but to me it always sounds like what people are really saying is "bitch."

As in me not catching on in one second to this lady saying "Slow down," the first time led her to say, "Slow down, slow down, slow down ma'am." I dunno, it almost always sounds like a curse rather than an honorific.

Comments

[viridian.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, that would've tweaked so many of my personal twitch buttons that I wouldn't have been ABLE to speak after that. I would've turned around and walked right out.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I was on the phone so she couldn't see me flinch. If I didn't absolutely need to know when my appointment was, I might have chewed her out.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling, since I have the same reaction to "sir." It's something you usually hear from a cop or another authority figure. "Step out of the car, sir. Bend over and spread your legs, sir. Welcome to Iraq, sir, now start running." Ugh!

[hslayer.livejournal.com]

Let's not forget, "You have no testicles...sir!"

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

"Sir" can be used comically, too. (As in Peanuts or Firefly) I don't get that feel off of "ma'am." However, you're perfectly right that "sir" is more often used as a patronizing name than anything.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I ever noticed anything particularly patronizing or rude about "sir". Perhaps it's because whenever I call a help desk or customer service, I'm annoyed (because something is wrong) and expecting to become more annoyed when they're a poorly-trained idiot who can't fix it.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Sir doesn't bother me. I'm sure sir would sound better than ma'am. It does on BSG. It sounds authoritative. Ma'am sounds like you're dealing with a crabby cat lady. "Ma'am, could you possibly change one of your forty litter boxes?"

[deltagrl.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I've always felt the same way about that word. I was just on the phone with my new wireless router's tech support, and something about the fact that she kept calling me Ma'am made me think I wasn't going to get the right amount of help. Like she was reading from a script. I guess there's lots of ways to hate that word. :) Eat something, my dear!

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

See!? It's not just me! Plenty of women have felt the subtle sting of an implied slur in "ma'am"!

Also, I did manage to get some food in. Better than I did yesterday...

[jlc.livejournal.com]

I guess this is a regional thing? I almost always say sir/ma'am to strangers...

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on context. When someone is helping you with something--tech support, secretaries, etc.--and they're being nice and helpful, it doesn't bother me. But when they start with defensive attitude, whoa does it sound like they're cursing you out.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Sorry you're not getting lunch--most important meal of the day, y'know. And since I've only actually met you one (weird, huh?) I have no idea if you talk particularly fast. I never thought anything odd about "ma'am" myself, but that's probably those years in the Midwest talking. :)