being called 'mum' in Sainsbury's

[joben]

AIBU to think it was a bit strange (and tactless) for the cashier on Sainsbury's to repeatedly address me as 'mum', e.g. did, you get everything you wanted, Mum? How many bags did you use Mum? Have you got a nectar card Mum? I didn't have any children with me, and the only suggestion that I might be a Mum, was the bag of chicken nuggets on the conveyor belt? Or is the stress of motherhood really that obvious from my appearance?!

oh and if it is the cockney type thing it is defo not a version of ma'am. It is mum as in 'get the old mum cappa rosie she looks paarched, and give us a tinkle on the old joanna'

A lot of cultures do it, i read once that a colloquial name for a stranger in Russia is uncle/aunt.

I'm in East London and have been all my life.

The only time I've ever been called 'Mum' is when I have my kids with me and I'm talking to a teacher/midwife/GP etc..

I've never known anyone to randomly start calling someone Mum in a supermarket when she doesn't have any children with her.

i don't think it is prevalent now worra (having taught and lived in tower hamlets i never heard it from anyone under 40). My dad must have grown up there about 60 yrs ago! just that's all i could think of to explain it.

I have seen many people from my parent generation use it to strangers tho. And as i said i was told to use it when i asked what to call someone (not that i did i always thought it was creepy!).

RuleBritannia is right. "Mum" is a shortened form of Madam. Many centuries ago, women were addressed as Mistress or Madam. Madam has stayed with us (I use it a lot with DD!) and Mistress became more Miss or Mrs.
Madam was often shortened to Madam Ma'am or Mum (by the servant classes) over the years.
Up until the last century, it was common to call your mother "Madam" or the shortened "Ma'am". Mum and Mam have evolved from there for mothers, but are still used to show subservient respect to other women.

And there ends the history of language lecture

I used the live in South East London and all the market traders at Lewisham market yell 'Come on mums, get yer lovely oranges!'

Being originally from the US I often think people are saying "mum" when they are probably saying "ma'am". It was driving my nuts on a well known police show here until I asked my wife "Why do they keep calling their boss mum?". When she stopped laughing she told me they were saying "ma'am".

I was in a Chinese with my family once. The waitress addressed my dad as 'daddy' for the whole evening. It was weird and hilarious

I see Spuddy everyone here calls each other 'mate, guv, boss or flower'

My male EFL sts from African countries would call me 'auntie' as a sign of respect.

Maybe it was sth along those lines?

Salmotrutta
I have spots; the Queen hasn't if she has, we can't see them.

MMel.Indor
Why do you think I am? Because I like things to be 'attended to' properly?

StorminaButtercup
People should not ask if a 'client' (for want of a better word) minds if a first name is used. It should be automatic that a title and surname is used and, if the 'client' is all right about a first name being used, he or she will volunteer the information. If clients are asked, they feel bound too polite to say that they don't mind when they really do.

At the health centre I attend, the doctors are Dr A and Dr B but the nurses are Maggie, Jill, Holly etc. I always ask for their surnames so I can address them properly - Nurse this or Nurse that.

rule many many companies do the same and it seems to work just fine.

When I say 'is it ok to call you Elizabeth?' I will often be told 'call me liz'

We always ask them their names, we often just get given the first name anyway but we still ask the question.

I prefer to be addressed by my first name. It wasn't given to me for decoration!

worra i like treacle or 'my old dutch'. My exH is from Liverpool and his family call women 'queen' - i loved being called that!

When i was working at UEL last year, 'bruv' seemed to be to the word of choice - for male or female! I remember being called it by a student and thinking

Did you have the purse/jeans/boots on ?

I was called 'darling' by the check out chap last night. Was quite flattered till he said the same to the man behind me in the queue

I use Sir and Ma'am.

Was it onof your dc on the checkout?!

Cashier was a Netmummer, she was calling you HUN, shudder, worst word in the world.

Absolutely PMSL at this thread!

You HAVE to go back to Sainsbury's, find the cashier, film her/record her on your phone and post it where we all can see it.

I reckon it was ma'am too.

They will have been saying ma'am, pronounced mum. I've heard it before, many times. If you're used to it being mah-rm, then it will sound like mum. Cos, well, they're saying mum. But it's not mum as in mother, it's mum as in madam. Honest. and it's more mhm than mum.

I just got called love by a teenager on the Tesco checkout, is this new?!

she was an Afro-Caribbean woman of around 55-60ish, didn't appear to have an accent

I would definately say she was saying "ma'am" but pronouncing it "mum". We have ladies from that culture in our sainsburys and they all say it.

YAnBU and I would complain! I once bollocked a charity beggar for the same thing. "I'm not YOUR Mum you little bore!"

I go to Sainburys in East London very frequently and noone has every called me mum (well apart from my kids of course but that is more of a muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum sound)

Bit odd. But the staff are very polite so I reckon she must have been calling you something else that sounded like mum and ma'am is the only thing I can think of.

If it was Sainbury's Low Hall I can check when i go in tomorrow. Hang about and listen to any of the west indian ladies of a certain age.

They wont mind.