I’m No Ma’am.

Thursday, December 15th, 2005 | faggy tendencies

While still living in Puerto Rico, my brother somehow developed a Southern quirk of speech: y’all. This was before he ended going to school in Atlanta at Georgia Tech, and I just attributed to him exhibiting some sort of Southern identitiy, being that we were born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and all. Ignore the fact that we haven’t been back there in 17 years.

I developed a Southern quirk of my own: Ma’am. It was Madam, with the “d” being silent and I used it to adress any adult lady that I wanted to get the attention of. I have no idea how I acquired it, maybe from watching too many cartoons as a kid, or maybe it is a subconscious reflection of soem sort of romanticization of ther South. You can imagine Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn saying it, and in episodes of Little House on the Prairie. Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz used Ma’am. it just seemed so proper, somehow.

I was called ma’am twice yesterday, one in person 9she corrected herself), and one other time on the phone (I spelt out my name to her, and i think audibly gruffened up my voice).

Until i put on the wig, dress, and platform shoes, don’t call my ma’am, please.

1 Comment to I’m No Ma’am.

Howard
December 19, 2005

I tend to use “Ma’am” when I address any lady that I think is over 30 and “Miss” for those ladies that are under 30. I always thought that was the correct title…tho I’ve never been to any of the Southern States… unless you’re counting Southern California (San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles).

I have no idea where I picked up those terms.

I do use “Bitch” pretty often tho. But that’s just because I’m a faggot and everybody is a bitch to me