"Miss!"
I hate being addressed with "Miss", unless it's followed by my surname. Here's a common conversation with my students:
Student: "Miss, can I borrow a pencil?"
Me: [Pointed look at student.] "I don't know if I have any extras, KID."
Student: [Blinks then gets the point.] "Miss Wisteria, can I borrow a pencil?"
Me: [Big smile] "Sure thing! Here you go."
This afternoon, I was at QuikTrip buying some sodas. In the space of a minute-long transaction, the clerk called me "Miss" six times. Drove me crazy! I'm not mad at him; many people find that a good term, and I appreciate that he was being polite. But I'd much rather be addressed with "Ma'am". I've never considered it an old lady designation. "Ma'am" is a nice catch-all, like the female equivalent of "Sir". Maybe it's a Southern thing. So, I'm curious....
Poll
ETA: I'm talking about "miss" or "ma'am" in one-off situations with strangers (like store clerks), not with people you see on a daily basis.
Student: "Miss, can I borrow a pencil?"
Me: [Pointed look at student.] "I don't know if I have any extras, KID."
Student: [Blinks then gets the point.] "Miss Wisteria, can I borrow a pencil?"
Me: [Big smile] "Sure thing! Here you go."
This afternoon, I was at QuikTrip buying some sodas. In the space of a minute-long transaction, the clerk called me "Miss" six times. Drove me crazy! I'm not mad at him; many people find that a good term, and I appreciate that he was being polite. But I'd much rather be addressed with "Ma'am". I've never considered it an old lady designation. "Ma'am" is a nice catch-all, like the female equivalent of "Sir". Maybe it's a Southern thing. So, I'm curious....
Poll
ETA: I'm talking about "miss" or "ma'am" in one-off situations with strangers (like store clerks), not with people you see on a daily basis.