Who Told You That You Could Call Me By My First Name?

[mtgianni]

I consider being called Sir or by my last name an insult and if it persists I correct it. I have never been Knighted and am not an elected member of Congress. Mr [last name] is OK of you must but not just my last name.

 

[STCM(SW)]

When asked do you prefer Nick or Nicholas?
I say only my mother called me Nicholas and it was not going to go well for me.
Sometimes I say call me Master Chief!... LOL!

 

[NYlakesider]

I guess I just learned today of a problem I don't have. No problem with people I know using my first name. As for total strangers? I can't recall any stranger addressing me by anything other than my last name or both names. That wouldn't make much sense.

++++++++++

Funny story, however... One of my many specialist doctors used to work closely (many years ago) with my PCP in the same hospital, now long closed. Suffice to say, they were on a first name basis with each other.

During my first appointment with the specialist doctor, and it has continued ever since, he only refers to my PCP by his first name and, in fact, the short version of that name.

Well, you don't know the confusion that caused since I have never once in my life addressed any of my medical doctors by his or her first name, short version or otherwise! At first, I couldn't even imagine who the heck this new doctor was talking about.

I told my PCP about it later and he just laughed. Inside joke between the two I guess.

Way back in the 70s when I shot a lot of PPC we had a bone doc (surgeon) that was tough to beat. All of us were told at one time or another my name is Joe not Doc ******.

My doctor of 36 years retired and I timed it out to be one of his last patients seen. After the official part of the visit was over I said well Doc its been a long time we have known each other.

We shook hand real decently and he said now I'm not Doc I'm Dennis. He was moving about 100 miles away and as he knew me and the MRS took long rides (leaf peeping) he gave me his cell number, house phone number and address and said if your in the neighborhood stop in!

 

[LVSteve]

Perhaps, because of my line of work, paramilitary, it bothers me as insubordination.

Bottom line; Is it me, is it a Southern thing, is it too much to ask or............... whatever? Does it bother you, I guess is the real question I'm askin................

If the highlighted part is your issue, then you need more separation between job and home. As my RAF buddy's wife used to say, "Close the hangar doors when you come home".

As for it being a Southern thing, maybe that's it.

 

[Mals9]

I address everyone as Mr. or Ms until instructed otherwise. I have always asked people to use my first name but that.just me. I have friends kid who call me Uncle and I take great pride in that as well as all the young kids that call me coach.

Mals

 

[Prodigal Son]

I was born and raised in the South but I am currently raising a family in Wisconsin. My wife is from Wisconsin.

I was raised on "Sir, Ma'am, Mr, Mrs and Ms. Not only were we a southern family, every male in my family also served in the military at some point. Also, almost every male family member was in law enforcement at some
point.

I was/am appalled by the lack of manners/respect that I see...but I don't think its just a regional thing. I think that it's a generational thing. I think that most just don't know or were never taught these things.

I always say yes ma'am to the 6 y/o neighbor girl and her parents look at me so strangely...but that is who I am and I am raising my boys in the same manner. If they choose to continue that when they have families is their choice. I have always told them that good manners/respect will never make a situation worse but a lack thereof can always make things worse.

I guess in the end we can only live by the code we choose and die with the pride of knowing that we did our best to uphold that code.

 

[CLASSIC12]

To lighten up the mood

YouTube

 

[Doug627]

Lighten up, Francis!

 

[WuzzFuzz]

Here's one for first name calling.....

One of my son-in-laws would call me "DAD"....No I ain't your dad!!!! Refer to me by my first name.....

My blood kids can call me dad.

Grandkids can call me Grandpa, but not by my first name.


WuzzFuzz

 

[6518John]

I prefer "Lord Vader" or the informal "My Lord" is fine too if I know the person well.

 

[double-dipper]

I do believe young people should be tought to address adults as Mr. Sir Ma'am Mrs. Miss, and surname. I will address folks I don't know very well as Mr. Sir, Ma'am, or Mrs., followed by their surname. I don't particularly like being call Sir or Mr. so I tell people my first name. My favorite title is Dad or Poppa by the grandchildren.

 

[snubbyfan]

Ever since all this pc bull poop started, people ask me, "what do I call you, Native American or American Indian?"
I reply, "how 'bout just calling me Wayne? It is my first name after all."

People are getting so afraid of not being pc that it's actually gotten to the point of acting racist. Instead of figuring out ways to seperate people with different ethnic backgrounds, how 'bout just treating your fellow human like a person?

I remember from back when I was a youngster, people'd come up to my Dad, raise their right hand and say, "how." My dad knew they weren't trying to be insulting, they just didn't know any better. My Dad'd reply, "I know how, I just need to know when."

 

[df06]

I like my two grand daughters to call me grandpa. Other than that, I don't care what anyone calls me n

 

[bjrjar]

I was a surprise baby. My dad was 50 when I was born in the boonies in Arkansas. My dad wanted to wait until they could see what I was like before they named me, so I didn't have a name for long enough that my mom decided to name me anyway. I think that may have been why my dad never called me by my name until my teens. It was you, or the boy, or whatever else worked. Reminds me of a Indian custom I've heard of. But, I survived and I think, in most cases when someone calls me by my first name, they are trying to be friendly and that's fine with me. When someone calls me Mr. I assume they are trying to be more respectful and don't feel comfortable enough around me to do otherwise. When I introduce myself, I almost always use my first name especially if they don't really need the full name. One of my colleagues insisted that his kids address him as sir. I remember thinking that's not necessarily a good substitute for Dad. I always liked being called dad and now I like hearing Papa, or Grampa from the grandkids. I guess I'll always just be a simple country boy.

Bob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[prairieviper]

I'm with the O.P., to a degree. Friends and those the I am well acquainted with should feel comfortable calling me by my first name (although many, as a showing of respect, still call me by my former rank). I do not live in the south but was brought up to believe that pretty much everyone that you were not personally acquainted with or was senior to you in age, deserved to be referred to by Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms or other applicable title such as a rank, like captain or sheriff, unless being told by that person to address by their first name. I know that I find it especially annoying for a sales person that I have never met, to take it upon themselves to address me by first name. Likewise, were a young child to call me by first name, I would consider the child to lack proper upbringing.

While I would agree that society today has become less formal, I hold with the opinion that you would never be viewed badly by using a title and it is preferable to be seen as lacking in respect.

 

[Pop's2]

I said, "Mister, many thanks"
He said, "You don't have to call me mister, mister
The whole world calls me Hank"

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I agree we have gotten a little too informal, people get too familiar too quickly. Ironic, since the English language has dropped the second person familiar form of address. Conversely I'd say 95% of the people I have met since the 1960s -women especially-introduce themselves by-and often only-first name, and in many situations trying to get a woman's last name is considering going too fast too quickly. In recent years I introduce myself by my nickname and even people who have known me for years don't know my first and middle names.
In German it's a formal ritual to become "duzfreund" with someone-and use the informal form of address.
Once my mother asked me what a teacher's first name was. I told her teachers didn't have first names.

 

[Golddollar]

I always say yes ma'am to the 6 y/o neighbor girl and her parents look at me so strangely...but that is who I am and I am raising my boys in the same manner. If they choose to continue that when they have families is their choice. I have always told them that good manners/respect will never make a situation worse but a lack thereof can always make things worse.

I think you have expressed this beautifully.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Bottom line; Is it me, is it a Southern thing, ............... ? Does it bother you, I guess is the real question I'm askin................

Yes it is a Southern thing, though I find the manners typical around my new home in SC quite charming.

First name familiarity is fine with me. We were raised informally in Brooklyn, so I always introduce myself by first name.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Where's labworm when ya need him?