(no subject)

Nov 02, 2012 21:02

I'm reading Harry Potter fanfic, and it's hitting one of my pet peeves.

British children do not call their friends' parents 'sir' or 'ma'am'.

They try to avoid calling them anything. If they have to, they call them 'Mr/Mrs Surname', at which point the parents will usually say, "Oh, call me First Name," and the kids will nod and return to not calling them anything. (Hell, I still have trouble calling my childhood friends' parents by their first names, and I've known most of them for more than twenty years.)

Male teachers will get called 'sir', but it's as an alternative to a name, not as a term of respect. In fact, it'll often be given just enough insolence to be verging on an insult. Female teachers will get called 'miss' in the same way. It's almost a, 'You aren't important enough for me to bother learning your name'.


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