Mommy

[ifeellikechickentonight]

Am I the only one who cannot stand being referred to as a mom, mommy or mommie

I am not American

It is spelt MUMMY

I don't know why this annoys me so much but it sets my teeth on edge

It's perfectly normal for someone in their 70s to call their mother Mama (pronounced mar-mar) if they're posh. Prince Charles calls his mother that. Mama prounounced Ma-ma is a baby thing though.

For young people 'Mum' is pretty much standard these days whether you're posh or ordinary because even posh people under 40 don't want to be seen in public calling someone Mummy.

OP, totally agree about hipsters. It's fine used in cultural context (e.g. Midlands) but I know Hipsters who've lived in Bromley all their lives and probably think the Black Country is Nigeria who call themselves 'Mommy' because they like to think they belong in a Williamsburg yogurt weaving collective.

I think you know full well I was referring to you user. Speech is a huge class determiner. If your Nanny goes to the toilet she is placing you socially.

I'm so baffled by the nan and nanny comments. I don't know any grandmas or grans, and I don't think I knew people had nannies to look after them til I was in my teens.

We're near the Midlands and lots of people we know call themselves Mom or Mommy. I'm not keen; I'm Mummy or Mama (pronounced mar-mar when they're being silly) to the DCs. I suppose it's only because I grew up calling my Mum 'Mum' not 'Mom' that it's stuck.

I think you know full well I was referring to you user. Speech is a huge class determiner. If your Nanny goes to the toilet she is placing you socially.

WTF are you on about @billsykesdog?

We are talking about whether someone saying mum, or mom is anything to do with class. It isn't. As I said, only an ignoramus would assume that.

I called both sets of grandparents grandma and grandad - my dc call my father grandad and dh's grandpa - both mothers grandma.

Some ridiculous, ignorant, and judgemental comments on here.

As if someone calling their mother 'mum' or 'mom' is anything to do with class. What a load of shit.

That's bollocks BSD. I'm as working class as they come, and I would never say toilet because I was brought up to speak properly. Toilet is a word that the nouveau middle classes used to distance themselves from their roots.

I think you know full well I was referring to you user. Speech is a huge class determiner. If your Nanny goes to the toilet she is placing you socially.

Never a toilet! Lavatory or loo!

^ The bold above was quoting BillSykesDog

I called both sets of grandparents grandma and grandad - my dc call my father grandad and dh's grandpa - both mothers grandma.

And....,

If your Nanny goes to the toilet she is placing you socially.

If this matters to anyone they need to get a life.

*Today 18:45 Astro55

I called both sets of grandparents grandma and grandad - my dc call my father grandad and dh's grandpa - both mothers grandma.

And....,*

Was just replying to someone who said they didn't know any grandmas.

TBH couldn't really care less what anyone called their relations as long as they're all happy with it.

User, if you don't know what I mean by 'your Nanny going to the toilet' placing you socially then it's pretty obvious that you yourself are pretty ignorant about the social nuances of speech.

I think only an ignoramus would think that social class didn't influence our speech and nouns and names used in particular. There's been quite a lot of sociological research done on this. Kate Fox's book 'Watching the English' has a pretty good summary in it of the Mummy/Mum/Mother question re class if you fancy enlightening yourself.

I bet at the moment you're the sort of person who would tell your Nanny you'd left your serviette on the settee in the lounge on the way back from the toilet after dinner so you need to go and get it before you serve the sweet.

And I bet your Nanny replies 'Pardon?'

If this matters to anyone they need to get a life.

Agreed. But unfortunately it does still pay to be aware of things like this, especially at work. There are plenty of people who would make a silent note of those sort of things and pin people mentally into a place accordingly.

Why are there posters still insisting mom is an Americanism? It is very clearly a regional thing.

If someone were to analyse the roots of Black Country dialect, I'm sure there would be a long history behind the use of the word.

Otherwise, please take our word for it, and the word of our mom's and nan's

Its mummy and daddy for us and I can't see that changing any time soon. Most of our friends are mummy and daddy too. My other in law is mummy and she's 80.

My children have 2 nannies. Neither of them are our paid employee mind you I would be more likely to say I had been for a slash than been to the toilet so I assume I would be unwelcome in some social circles

Proud black country wench here who thinks people who assume mom is an Americanism am proper yampy

Well it seems many posters on this thread are crass according to Kate Fox's book as middle classes and well meaning upper classes avoid using the word class at all and only the insecure wear their snobbery on their sleeve while working class people generally have no issue with the word class at all and will happily describe themselves as such.

She says using Mum and Dad are acceptable among 'common' and (wait for it........) 'smart' children! Children over the age of ten and grown ups who say Mummy are probably upper middle class.

Best of all is this part, mothers who are called Mum carry a handbag while mothers called Mummy carry a bag and Mums wear perfume while Mummies wear scent.

This is fascinating and funny in equal measure especially to someone not from the UK (me).

Well it seems many posters on this thread are crass according to Kate Fox's book as middle classes and well meaning upper classes avoid using the word class at all and only the insecure wear their snobbery on their sleeve

Rules don't apply online.

Rules don't apply online

BillSykes I guess you have to say it as the main offender :).

Ps Just kidding BillSykes

You actually reminded me about that book. I bought it a couple of years ago and never got around to reading it thoroughly. I must make time to read it. I think I will love it!

In Dublin, was mammy when ds small, now mam. Always hated the sound of mum, dont know why.

Am still vaguely confused by the english class aspects of using the word toilet... Never heard word lavatory used in normal conversation here!

It's a brilliant book wildrose, fascinating and very readable.

I'm Mam/Mammy, my cousins call my aunt Mom. I used to live in the USA, lol ads if my friends say Mom. I care not one jot what words they use to speak to their own mothers and think it's petty for anyone else to care.