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Hello. Watching YouTube videos about English conversation at the restaurant, I often see the words, 'sir,' or 'madam.' Is it Okay to use these words for 'LGBT' people? In my opinion, I wonder if these words are getting out of fashion.
Nov 19, 2022 10:33 PM
Answers · 6
1
It's fine in some scenarios, but it runs the risk of sounding like you're joking and being offensive. Definitely don't use that language in a poor & violent neighbourhood! But in a posh restaurant it's generally fine. Of course, if you're unsure of the person's gender, don't say Sir or Ma'am, as that would be presumptuous and potentially mistaken.
November 20, 2022
1
That's a really great question! You will hear people saying sir, miss, maam, etc. still as a polite gesture, formal, esp when talking to a stranger in the States or trying to get someone's attention. Currently in my part of the States (to my knowledge) we do not have a popular gender neutral term that fits into this category. I tend to not use those terms due to this as I can possibly misgender someone . i will if I know someone, my family is southern and it is very common to call people older than me by Miss /Ms. or Mr , unless they tell me otherwise . What I normally do when I am at a restaurant with servers, i will ask their name, I will refer to them by their name . When in doubt, always ask :)
November 20, 2022
1
"Madam" is rarely used now. "Ma'am" is somewhat common, especially in the southern part of the United States. "Sir" is very common, in shops or restaurants, and in some other formal settings.
November 19, 2022
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