Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I shouldn't admit I've been watching Judge Judy but I have noticed that a lot of people, male and female, accidentally call her sir.  "Yes, sir."

So it does happen to the cis-gendered as well.

And don't mess with Judge Judy!!    :o


Jay

I think that it happens a lot, especially to women in authority.  I'm not sure a cis-gendered person notices what we are so sensitive to.

Quote from: sneakersjay on October 26, 2010, 06:31:46 PM
And don't mess with Judge Judy!!    :o

No sir, uh, ma'am, uh, yer honor, uh...

- Kate

The use of "sir" in addressing women goes back at least as far as 1578, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, although prior to 1611 it was spelled "syr". :)

ahhh olde english, how we miss you not

I'm actually quite enthralled by historical English. (But I prefer ma'am anyway.)

Women in command in the military are referred to as sir alot. And yes, Judge Judy could probably outdo many drill sergeants.

I'm not English, so I may be way off, but for me, it looks like "sir" is what you say when adressing someone who could possibly issue an order to you, while "madam" and "mister" are more gender-specific... I think.

Quote from: A on October 26, 2010, 09:29:04 PM
I'm not English, so I may be way off, but for me, it looks like "sir" is what you say when adressing someone who could possibly issue an order to you, while "madam" and "mister" are more gender-specific... I think.

The meaning of "sir" is decidedly more fluid than "madam" and "mister", both of which are gender-specific.

Of course, in daily use, "sir" is generally contrasted with (in at least North American and South Africa) "ma'am". When addressed as "sir" I know that I have been read as male with a high degree of certainty on almost any given occasion.