To all the women dopers out there.
Do you like/dislike being called ma’am. Why or why not? I like when I am called miss. I don’t even mind Ms. Ma’am just rubs me the wrong way.
Discuss.
Doesn’t bother me. I grew up in GA and live in TN. Here it’s just a polite form of address, like “sir.” To me, “miss” sounds stilted and a bit precious, but I really wouldn’t give it a second thought.
I don’t really get called “ma’am” unless someone is trying to call me a bitch without using that word, so yeah, I don’t particularly like it.
Nope. I love it. And having lived on a military base, I heard it all the time. To me, it means I have arrived! I know some people say it makes them feel old, but I have no fears about growing older. “Miss” makes me feel like a silly young girl who knows nothin’ and I am far from that.
And as one colonel’s wife told a bunch of us young Army wives back in the late 70’s, “being called ma’am just acknowledges that someone loves you enough to have sex with you and marry you, so how can that be bad?” It made us laugh.
Of course not, it’s just a politeness.
We’ve had some crazy previous threads about the subject. I even asked if teaching children to say ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ meant that the parents were assholes.
Women being upset by being called “ma’am”.
Another one.
I’ll mention something that I’ve said before: I call my kids “sir” and “ma’am” sometimes, too. So age has nothing to do with it.
Chicago area here, and a 40-year-old woman. I use “ma’am” in the hospital I work in to address female patients/family members (“sir” to men) if I don’t know the woman’s name; typically I’ll use it on nearly any age, barring perhaps the rather young (teens and younger). I intend it as a sign of respect. If I do know the person’s name and need to use it, I use “Ms. (last name)” unless I specifically know another form of address is preferred.
I was a little surprised when I first heard here how much “ma’am” rubs some people the wrong way. Around here “ma’am” is simply the default form of address for any adult female if you’re trying to be polite.
My parents were both born and raised in Texas. I’m a native Californian, but I grew up saying “sir”, “ma’am”, and (unrelated), even “ya’ll”. I get laughed at by some and told by others not to do it, but it’s ingrained. That’s how you address people politely.
For the people that don’t like it, I came it with this come back: “I call everyone that. It’s nothing personal. It’s not like I respect you or anything.” I soften the comment with a smile, usually, but it gets my point across.
I not only don’t mind being called “ma’am”, but have come to expect it, working in law enforcement.
I don’t know why anyone would be bothered by it. I remember being taken aback and feeling old the first time someone called me ma’am instead of miss, though.
To me it is a polite, respectful term. I can’t imagine being offended by it.
I’m too old to be called “Miss” so I wouldn’t like it.
What I don’t like is being called by my first name, say in the doctor’s office. Also not crazy about it if a waiter calls us “you guys.”
However, I have never cared about it enough to bother correcting anybody. Just don’t call me bitch it’s good enough.
To me, when in doubt, you can’t go wrong with the more formal choice. Or so I thought. ?
I hate it. But I’m a guy.
My Mama would come back from the grave and slap me up the side of the head if I did not address an adult woman as Ma’am.
It is a polite form of address.
Born and raised in the south and ma’am and sir are just the polite way to address someone whose name I don’t know, especially an older person. Much better than “hey lady”. “Miss” does not always fit. What I hate are male servers who call me “pretty lady” or “young lady” or some such crap. I also dislike children who say “yeah” or huh or nope. It sounds rude to me.
Once again (as I’ve probably said in each thread about this subject), as you all can probably figure out from my location field, I wasn’t born and raised and don’t live in the south.
I used to dislike it, thinking that someone was being sarcastic, rude, or calling me “old”. Then I moved to the US South, where it really is just the cultural norm of how you politely address an adult woman. I find myself using it too – its expected and totally normal here, and I no longer see a problem with it. Made me do a double take the first few times it was used towards me though!
I like it. I find it polite and respectful.
Of course I’m not bothered. It’s the polite way to address an adult woman.
My students are required to call me Miss JoyAnn or Miss (Last Name). I won’t respond to anything that doesn’t have a “Miss” in it.
My son calls me “ma’am” when he’s in trouble. 
If the students are with me in a personal context, they should call me by my first name (which happens because I volunteer at my son’s school or sometimes a student will know me after they graduate). I let one kiddo get away with still calling me “Miss” and it’s fine, cause he also calls me madrina.
I always refer to my old high school history teacher as “Mister” even though he’s told me a thousand times over the last 11 years that I can just call him “Gary”. (yeah, right!)
Ma’am is fine. I use it because it’s just part of how I was brought up. I address my students as Mister, Sir, Miss, and occasionally, ma’am. It’s not a favorite, but it depends on the context. On a military base, I’d expect a ‘ma’am’ most of the time, but perhaps ‘miss’ from a younger person (i’m only 26). My friend who was a professor was sometimes “Doc” or “Dr. Loebsack” in jest until he became a congressman and now he’s always “Congressman” in greeting. (He’s like, you know, you can call me Dave, right? and I have a hard time doing that.)
Rabbis are rabbis, too. I don’t know what it is with me and titles. 
admittedly, when my S.O. says ‘Yeesss mah’yum’, i get a little turned on.
When I was 19 I was taken to task for calling a woman in her 50s Ma’am. I thought it was odd, because I was raised to say “yes ma’am” as a sign of respect.
So, I guess it isn’t uncommon. I still say “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” as a sign of respect though.
I hate it. It was very jarring the first time someone called me ma’am and I’ve never grown to like it. I don’t know why.