What to do when forgetting a girl's name?

lu   Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:18 am GMT
So I believe during a job interview it's ok to call my interviewer sir if he's older than me.
And what will you guys do after your interviewer tell you his name??Still call him "sir" or his name instead??? Here in my country, it's a bit unnatural to call other's first name.We like to call other by their family names and western people like to call other by their first names instead.
Damian in Edinburgh   Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:37 am GMT
I'm glad that "dude" isn't used much, if at all, in the UK. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard any of my mates use it, and then only when referrring to something, or someone, American. Bloke or guy are much more commonly used in reference to males....although "guys" can be used unisexually.

Sir is used formally when addressing men, especially in a professional or business situation......like when you are serving customers. I don't think it is used in the same way as Americans do when addressing a man older than you are.....I read somewhere that boys in America even call there fathers "sir"...that would never happen here. Madam is the formal address for women, but I don't think it's used anything like as often as the "sior" for men, for some reason. The word "Madam" is used to describe a lady who runs a brothel, so maybe that's the reason people feel hesitant to use it in the business sense.

LU:

I don't think it's necessary to use "sir" in an interview situation. Just be natural and polite, and by all means address the interviewer by his/her name now and again, but not all the time, that would sound weird. Just be yourself.....natural and friendly and open.....you cannae go wrong that way. Think of yourself as being on equal terms with whoever it is you're speaking with...even if s/he is in the supertax bracket and you have trouble finding two pennies to scrape together. ;)
Guest   Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:13 am GMT
>I call girls and guys "dude" but then I'm one of the only people in my area that actually uses the word "dude".

Probably pronounces it "dood" as well, to convey the attitood perfectly.
Chris   Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:19 pm GMT
>> I don't think it is used in the same way as Americans do when addressing a man older than you are.....I read somewhere that boys in America even call there fathers "sir"...that would never happen here. <<

Around here it's practically the opposite of that. It's really funny actually. Older people will address the younger person as "sir" -- an old man visiting a club or a restaurant will address the younger waitors or servants as "sir", but very rarely will they address someone their own age or younger as "sir". It's also used when you are angry with someone: not "May I help you, sir?" but "Sir, please leave." Teachers commonly call the students "sir" or "ma'am", although the teachers are usually addressed by their first name only.
Jim C, York   Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:29 pm GMT
My step Grandad would think that is madness! then he would start talking about bringing back the birch. In my school we called the Teachers Sir or Miss, and we would be called by our first names, and standing up when a teacher entered the room was just dying its death, thank god because I was a lazy bastard.
Bob   Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:41 pm GMT
Chris that sounds mental! In my school it is pretty much the same as in Jim C's. We call the teachers Sir or Miss and the teachers call us by our first names or Mr./Miss (and our last name) or boy/girl, depending on their mood and the teacher. Standing up when the teacher enters the room?! They'd never be able to enforce that one!
Guest   Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:25 pm GMT
>> We call the teachers Sir or Miss. <<
Wow, that would sound really weird. I don't think the students around here would go for that.

>> [The teachers will call the students by] first names or Mr./Miss (and our last name) or boy/girl <<

Well, the teachers here will sometimes use first names if the class is small enough, but calling students sir/ma'am is a lot more common (at least in high school and university.) Boy/girl would definitely not sound acceptable at all around here.

It's funny how it's reversed.

>> and standing up when a teacher entered the room was just dying its death, thank god because I was a lazy bastard. <<

We usually do this in language classes.
Chris   Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:26 pm GMT
the above post was mine.
Jim C, Eofforwic   Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:29 am GMT
It was the old crusty teachers that made us stand up. The new teachers were all pretty chilled, so a bit of a mix really, they showed respect to us (on occasion) and we showed respect back to them....on occasion ;)
Chris   Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:20 pm GMT
>> It was the old crusty teachers that made us stand up. <<

Yeah, they wouldn't get away with that over here, except for some of the language classes where we have to stand up and bow to the teacher.
Uriel   Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:10 pm GMT
Sir is used formally when addressing men, especially in a professional or business situation......like when you are serving customers.

Same in the US. It's considered a polite form.


I don't think it is used in the same way as Americans do when addressing a man older than you are.....I read somewhere that boys in America even call there fathers "sir"...that would never happen here.

Actually, this mainly only happens in the South. Southerners use "sir" and "ma'am" much more frequently than people in the rest of the country, and in a far wider variety of situations. You will even hear wives and husbands use it affectionately with each other, which strikes the rest of us as jarring, because it's never a term of endearment anywhere else.
Bob   Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:07 pm GMT
>>Probably pronounces it "dood" as well, to convey the attitood perfectly. <<

Yep. How else could it be pronounced though?

>>except for some of the language classes where we have to stand up and bow to the teacher. <<

You have to bow to the teacher? What language are you learning?

>>Boy/girl would definitely not sound acceptable at all around here.<<

Na they don't use it much. Just when they are really pissed off with someone. Sort of like ""Sit down, boy!" or "Shut up, girl!".
lu   Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:36 am GMT
>>except for some of the language classes where we have to stand up and bow to the teacher. <<

You have to bow to the teacher? What language are you learning?


Is that japanese??
Chris   Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:49 am GMT
<< Why not call them "lady" >>
<< "Madam?" Not unless I needed a hooker for the night! ;) >>

Hmm. I don't think lady or madame would sound very friendly. It just doesn't sound like a very natural thing that people would like being called instead of their name.
Chris   Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:03 pm GMT
>> You have to bow to the teacher? What language are you learning?


Is that japanese??
<<

yes