When did you go from Miss to Ma'am in the eyes of strangers?

[purplepenletter]

At what age did you stop getting called miss, girl, hen (for the scots) and started getting called lady, ma'am and so on? Yes I know people should be saying woman and Ms and that Miss and Mrs typically refer to your marital status but obviously most people don't use that language yet.

I have never been referred to as ma'am, and haven't heard anyone else be either!

The only time I’ve been called Ma’am was in the first school I taught in. The Deputy HT hated being called Miss and decreed that all female teachers should be called Ma’am. It’s not a common term in London shops or restaurants .

Ma'am was only used when referring to The Queen in England as far as I am aware.
Only ever heard Americans referring to ladies of a certain age as ma'am.

Don't think I've ever been called miss or ma'am. Maybe it's a regional thing?

In France I went from mademoiselle to Madame around 25, back in the 90s.

Otherwise it seemed very dependent on the age of the person addressing me. Teen serving in a shop in the USA - ma’am pretty much in adulthood. Miss from anyone 10 years older than me until nearly 40.

Last summer, at 44 years old, and it still shocked me. My teenage kids thought it was hilarious.
We live in a Mediterranean country and were waiting at the bus stop when a young American backpacker asked me something about the bus timetable. After I helped him out he nodded his head and just said ‘Thank you Ma’am’. A little shocked I simply replied ‘You’re welcome’
My daughter thought it was funny, my son thought my reaction was funny. As he said ‘What else was he supposed to call you? Miss?’ Then also burst out laughing.
I except it grudgingly, I am now Ma’am.

I have never been called Ma’am. I have, however, twice been offered a seat on the tube in the last two months. Which leads me to suspect that I am now officially old.

In schools, males teachers are sir and females are miss, regardless of their age or marital status. To be on a level pegging, female teachers should be ma'am.
The whole Miss/Mrs/Ms salutation is also unfair as men are Mr their whole life (master seems to have died out).

In my 30s while shopping etc in London. Don't get called anything nowadays when out with my toddler elsewhere.

Only in the M&S in Oxford Street was I kept being referred to as Ma'am. It made me feel rather uncomfortable as the staff that I was being helped by were black and I'm well not. It made me feel like some kind of slave owner.

I'm 70 and I've never been called Ma'am. Neither have I randomly been called Mrs except by anyone using my full married name ie Mrs Xxx. When I worked in a secondary school I was called Miss like every other female member of staff even though I was over 60.

I spent my whole 20's with everyone telling me how youthful I looked, to the point that when she found out I was pregnant a colleague bust out with "you're too young to have a baby!", and her jaw dropped when I explained I was 31.
Post baby (who was a terrible sleeper), out to buy some paracetamol, and the lady on the till was being trained. The woman training her explained that she didn't have to ask my age because I was /obviously/ old enough, which came as a bit of a shock to me. Sleep deprivation added at least 10 years to my looks, no one has thought of me as young since 😏

It's always been Miss which I believe is short for Mistress as in School Mistress and I don't have a problem with it.

I've only been called ma'am by an American or Indian. I turned into Mrs at 21 I think (that seems to be standard in the NHS, in Scotland anyway) 😁

God forbid I'm ever described as a "wee wumman" lol

This reminds me of getting called Queen in Liverpool. But I’ve never been called ma’am.

As a teacher I'm Miss or Mrs Shuffles at 47 and will remain so.
As a teen shop assistant I was 'the lady' as in 'pay the lady Gemma '
Only the queen is ma'am

I've never been called Ma'am - I don't think it is commonly used in the UK or Ireland.

Never been called maam thank god and I am ancient (and in the UK).

When I joined the Army, and the soldiers referred to me as Ma'am.

Its "luv" up north

Never Ma'am except in India
First time I was called a lady was 24 when I moved up north. It was a bit of a shock!

Ma'am strikes me as an American thing when used while interacting day to day with others (as opposed to addressing people in certain roles). I always think Americans are generally more polite and formal with forms of address - especially when addressing a person older than them. Ma'am for women and sir for men. Might be certain parts of US, haven't experienced enough of it to know that.

Here i might get "mrs" from children. Rarely but does happen. I say from my 30s. But let's face it to a boy whose 10 a woman in her 30s is old 🤣

I’m in my 50s and still get called “miss”!

I don't think I've ever been miss. Have been called ma'am on occasion since my very early 20s (military context).

Apart from the military, nobody uses ma'am really.