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Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
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Every time that I've volunteered with children and youth at church the SOP is to call adults Mr [insert first name] so I'm Mr. Todd. Of course, that is Texas so YMMV.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23098 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of jack32586
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I am addressed by "Bro" at least 3 or 4 times a day if I'm forced out into the real world. I don't think I've ever heard Mr Jack though. Must be regional. I get called Sir alot also. If I could just get them to call me Sir Bro! It has a cool surfer knight ring to it.
 
Posts: 203 | Location: S/W Florida | Registered: October 10, 2016Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of henryaz
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quote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
I think it may be a regional thing. I know when I lived out in the boonies of South Carolina, it seemed to be a standard form of address to someone of a generation older than yourself, IF you knew them that well.

This. If you're from the South, Mr.'firstname' or Ms/Miss/Mrs 'firstname" is the norm. It is a holdover from the early days of the USA.
 
 
Posts: 10778 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I've started hearing it lately more and more. Used to be the only time you heard it is when some older black person was talking to a white person. Like on Gone With The Wind there is usage of it.

It doesn't sound disrespectful to me.
 
Posts: 801 | Registered: March 17, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Eye on the
Silver Lining
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And in a formal medical setting, you aren't supposed to use last names, which leaves some elderly folks a little unsettled- to hear a young whippersnapper that's about to room them call them "John" instead of "Mr. Smith" smacks of impertinence..softening it with a "Mr." John seems to help. And our Dr. goes by his first name as well..Dr. "John" instead of Dr. "Smith".

Still respectful, but more approachable.


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Posts: 5284 | Registered: October 24, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
"The deals you miss don’t hurt you”-B.D. Raney Sr.
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I am Mr. Hud to most of my kids' friends. And a lot of their parents are Mr. or Mrs. First name to them. Doesn't bother me at all. Around here it's the honorific attached to a familiar elder.
 
Posts: 6288 | Location: East Texas | Registered: February 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Life's too short to
live by the rules
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I noticed the trend when my son was in preschool. They called all their teachers by their first name with Mr. Or Ms. I've only noticed this once in public from a young man at Arby's who always calls me Mr. Chris. Feels very odd coming from him.
 
Posts: 1693 | Location: Richmond, VA | Registered: August 04, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Little ray
of sunshine
Picture of jhe888
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That form is fairly common in the South, and I think is more common than it used to be.

It is generally used by younger people toward people they are fairly familiar with, such that Mr. Smith seems too formal. Maybe a teacher or neighbor. Or when an adult has said call me "Joe" but parents don't want children calling an adult by their first name.

Personally, I don't like it. If we are to be formal, call me Mr. Smith. If not, call me Joe. I don't like the half measure.

I have the idea that this was also used in years past between blacks and white, who wished to have some degree of formality, but less than using Mr. Smith. I haven't really been able to find if that is true. I don't remember that, but I didn't encounter many black people in the '60s.

I lived a good bit of my life as a child in the South and do not really remember "Mr. Joe" being used at all. An adult was Mr. Smith or Sir to me. If they were family, they could be called Grandpa, and I called my Uncles and Aunts by their first names.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
 
Posts: 53117 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
No good deed
goes unpunished
Picture of cheesegrits
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I was born and raised in the South and have heard and used this form of address all my life. It's pretty common for young children to address friends of their parents in this manner.

I think the usage has gained some popularity as a "cute" form of address. I'll hear it sometimes when adults are talking to young kids and the point certainly isn't to be formal.
 
Posts: 2680 | Location: The Carolinas | Registered: June 08, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Telecom Ronin
Picture of dewhorse
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Due to my career I work with teams of technicians, many from the Philippines. They normally refer to me as "Sir Mike" or "Mr. Mike", from them I consider it a term of respect.
 
Posts: 8301 | Location: Back in NE TX ....to stay | Registered: February 12, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Casuistic Thinker and Daoist
Picture of 9mmepiphany
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quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
If they were family, they could be called Grandpa, and I called my Uncles and Aunts by their first names.

At family gatherings, we always addressed uncles and aunts by that tittle added to their first name. Made for a lot less confusion as to whom you were referring to at the moment




No, Daoism isn't a religion



 
Posts: 14175 | Location: northern california | Registered: February 07, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not really from Vienna
Picture of arfmel
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My co-worker's little kids call me Mr. Mark, as a term of respect. I have no problem with it.
 
Posts: 26852 | Location: Jerkwater, Texas | Registered: January 30, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
That rug really tied
the room together.
Picture of bubbatime
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I hate when people call me chief or boss. Hate it. So disrespectful.


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Posts: 6660 | Location: Floriduh | Registered: October 16, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Same as most of the others- few of my friends kids call me Mr. Mike though I generally try to encourage just first names when I can. Titles don't mean a damn thing- I've called countless people sir or ma'am that I have zero respect for.
 
Posts: 2188 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: February 25, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of cparktd
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SOP for around here in small town Tennessee for as long as I can remember, and I'm 61.
It is automatic almost, and a sign of respect.

It's a hybrid...
For example, For Mr. Andy Jones.
Less formal than "Mr. Jones".
Less personal than "Andy".
So "Mr Andy"

Same for the ladies as in Miss or "Mrs Anita".



If it ain't woke... don't fix it.
 
Posts: 4117 | Location: Middle Tennessee | Registered: February 07, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Kind of reminds me of "Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Ray Jay or you can call me R. Jay, or you can call me R.J. J. but you doesn't have to call me Johnson!



"If you think everything's going to be alright, you don't understand the problem!"- Gutpile Charlie
"A man's got to know his limitations" - Harry Callahan

 
Posts: 9249 | Location: Indian Territory, USA | Registered: March 23, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
"Member"
Picture of cas
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quote:
Originally posted by FenderBender:
So they don't call you speedoo?


Oh well, you tried. Big Grin


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Posts: 21052 | Location: 18th & Fairfax  | Registered: May 17, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of henryaz
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quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
I have the idea that this was also used in years past between blacks and white, who wished to have some degree of formality, but less than using Mr. Smith.

I believe this is the true origin of the practice, at least in the South. When I grew up in East TX, the woman who came to clean the house, Beulah, used to address us all as Mr. or Missy/Mrs. [first name]. This was in the early 1960's.
 
 
Posts: 10778 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Only the strong survive
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What about being called "Sonny Buck"? Mad

41


41
 
Posts: 11828 | Location: Herndon, VA | Registered: June 11, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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