Brits' use of ''sir''

Factual Questions
1

I’ve noticed in programs that Brit’s used the word “sir” profusely when addressing someone of superior social standing or class. Is that common IRL or a movie device. In the US, outside of the military, it’s pretty uncommon (to use it profusely.

Sample dialogue:

(Inspector Davidson)
“So where were you at 10:00 last night?”

(suspect)
“On my way back to the pub, sir.”

(Davidson)
“Did you stop anywhere along the way?”

(suspect)
“No, sir. Is there a problem, sir?”

(Davidson)
“Yes, there’s been a murder.”

(suspect)
“I swear I had nothing to do with it, sir.”

Then, Inspector David questions Lord Sorrington.
(Davidson)
“So where were you at 10:00 last night, sir?”

(Sorrington)
“I had just left my office after working late.”

(Davidson)
“Did you stop anywhere along the way, sir?”

(suspect)
“No. Is there a problem?”

(Davidson)
“Yes, there’s been a murder, sir.”

(suspect)
“No, Inspector, I had nothing to do with it.”

(This is a paraphrase of an exchange that took place in the three-part “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” episode “I Killed the Count.” Note that when the [sup]1[/sup]inspector is interviewing an inferior person (in this case, the lift operator), the lift operator uses “sir” a lot, but the inspector doesn’t. However, when he addresses [sup]2[/sup]Lord Sorrington, who is of a superior social class, he is very deferential, using “sir” quite a bit.

[sup]1[/sup] Portrayed by John Williams. Probably best known as Mr. French from “Family Affair.” Not the Mr. French–Sebastian Cabot, who was ill for a while (heart attack?)–but a cousin of the “real” Mr. French.

[sup]2[/sup] Portrayed by Alan Napier. Best known as Alfred, the butler, from the old “Batman” series.

2

Certainly Police officers, shopkeepers and canvassers seem to address me as ‘sir’, especially when first getting my attention (“Is this your car sir?”,“May I help you sir”,“Would you mind answering a few questions sir?.. ouch!”, but then what else would they do? “Hey, you!”

3

My old man used to respond to people who addressed him as “sir” by saying:

[surly]
"Don’t call me sir-- I’m just as good as you!"
[/surly]
[sub]It was just his way.[/sub]

4

<Homer Simpson>
Maybe, just once, someone will call me “sir” without adding, “you’re making a scene.”
</Homer Simpson>

‘Sir’ is pretty much only used by the police and shop assistants these days. I think maybe it’s a fairly neutral address: better than ‘hey you!’ as Mangetout says.

5

I work in a bookshop in the UK and I address quite a lot of men as “Sir”, because it reinforces the “I am the server, you are the peron I am serving” relationship between employee and customer. It’s a polite way of acknowledging our roles and makes the customer feel respected and more likely to patronise (in the good way) my shop.

The same goes for addressing authority figures - it’s a way of saying “You have power over me and I am willing to respect that”. Either that, or you’re trying weasle out of something and win them over by crawling :wink:

6

I’ve been trying to think of a circumstance in which I might say “Sir” and I just can’t. All I could come up with was a visit to the Magistrates Court when it might be a good idea to show deference to the beak. Hopefully, that won’t be happening.

Nope, I just don’t ever use it.

7

Could it be a holdover from an old way people were raised? I was taught from a very young age that when I addressed older people, it was either sir or ma’am. I noticed that it is used much more in the South than in other parts of the country, could it be old-fashioned gentility? I’ve gone into a gas-station in Florida and the guy says “will that be all for you sir?”, and in Newark, New Jersey hear “will that be all for you buddy?”, to California were it was “izzat all for you man?”

8

Ahem, well now that I re-read the OP, well, um, ahem…
[emily latella]Never mind!![/emily latella]

9

Students are required in many (all?) schools to address teachers by Sir or Miss. When I moved to Canada, I had all the teachers amused because I was calling them that.

10

Mjollnir, are you writing from the States? I find a lot of people use it here. Particularly employees in fast food restaurants. I heard many of them address male patrons as sirs. “Sir, your order is ready.”

Also, concierges, or employees of large retail stores like Nordstroms.

However, I believe since 1776, many US males would find it beneath them to address other males as sir, unless they’re in the military or in a service setting.

11

As children my siblings and I were required by our parents to address all adults as sir or ma’am. This is in Kentucky. I seldom if ever use the honorific anymore. Actually I can’t remember the last time I did use it. I recall reading an H. Beam Piper book where one of the characters is asked why he calls some people sir and not others. He replies that he only sirs people he respects. I thought this summed up my feelings pretty well.

My older brother, on the other hand, is in sales and addresses every male he meets as sir whether on the job or not. And I must say he is quite successful at his job.

Of course this guy could sell you swamp property at a premium and you’d be darned glad to buy it. Growing up with him was fun you bet. :slight_smile:

12

Of course it can also be used to fantastic comic effect.

IMHO, Fry and Laurie are the masters of this, like in this sketch.

But it would be unfair not to also mention The Fast Show (for which I can’t find a decent web page)

13

Of course the very IDEA of using a person’s first name is ABHORRENT to any True Scotsman, etc, etc.

I’ve always called any male more than roughly twenty years my senior “Sir”. But it usually comes back on me. Most start calling me Sir back, which ruins the respect I’m trying to give them (stay on your pedestal, dammit!). I guess they’re trying to encourage and compliment me, to declare that they see me as an equal. Does make me feel a bit sad sometimes though. Where did all the dads go?

There’s no real parallel for women. “Miss” in Britain is a schoolteacher’s title, “Mrs” and “Lady” are downright rude, and “Madam” just doesn’t work - brings too much distance, which is fine if I’m a professional serving role, but I’d like to be able to call my mother or my aunts something respectful but loving. I love the way Americans can use “Ma’am”, I think it’s genuinely endearing.

So for now I’m compelled to call all female elders “Auntie”. Which they really don’t like, especially when they’re trying their best to look thirty-five.

14

It’s also paradoxically a way of communicating hostility or anger.

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

I do bite my thumb, sir.

Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.

Do you quarrel, sir?

If you do, sir, I am for you : I serve as good a man as you.

No better.

Well, sir.

Say “better:” here comes one of my master’s kinsmen.

Yes, better, sir.

You lie.

Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
[They fight.

15

I should add that Alfred Hitchcock Presents is not exactly a good source for use of contemporary British English. In any case the suspect was trying to engratiate himself with his interrogator.

BTW here’s an OK site for the Fast Show. See Quotes > Suit You for how “sir” should not be used when serving in a shop. Not funny out of context, though – you’d really have to watch the show.

16

[HIJACK]

***[sup]POOF!![/sup]***A treat suddenly appears for mangetout, who has spoken the sacred names of Fry & Laurie.
(Some old episodes of Stephen Fry’s forgotten BBC radio program, Saturday Night Fry. About 14MB each. With Hugh Laurie & Emma Thompson.)
[/HIJACK]

17

Well, I wasn’t really referring to the casual use of sir as a term of respect or unfamiliarity–but the profuse use of it, sort of like a verbal period, and end quotes, or the walkie-talkie “over.” In the example I gave, in the first instance, the Inspector is being deferred to. In the latter, he is deferring to the might CEO a titled nobleman.

Each time the deferring party speaks, he includes the “sir,” almost at the end of every sentence, and always when he has finished speaking.

18

Yeah, and in the example I gave from Shakespeare, they are also using “sir” as a verbal punctuation. But when employed in that aggressive, hostile manner, spoiling for a fight, they give it a certain sneering emphasis, sir.

A military man when addressing an officer gives it a very crisp emphasis: “Yes, SIR! Right away, SIR!”

A shopkeeper or whatever using it in a routine respectful civilian manner will put no particular emphasis on it. “Would you like fries with that sir.”

But if you know what’s good for you, you had better drop the subject, sir. :mad:

19

I truly love the way you think, M’am. :wink:

By the by, have you a hardback of " the 21 Balloons" , by duBois ??

Cartooniverse

20

Nothing to do with Britain –

I grew up never using ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’. These days I use them a lot, but only with strangers, most often when I’m trying to get past someone on the street or in the subway, or with people who are serving me.

Sua