To think calling 25/26 year olds lady is quite odd

[Fedupwiththis70]

I just feel that woman is more suitable for younger people. Lady I always think of as at least 40. Recently heard someone call a woman at work that lady with the blonde hair not even a young lady just lady. The woman is 25/26. Don’t know if it’s just my views though.

It's just a polite way to refer to an adult woman especially to children.

I think lady is fine for 25/26 and any other age really.

Say what? So just because I am 57 I am no longer a woman but a lady? That makes no earthly sense to me what so ever.

I always call a woman I don't know a lady , regardless of age. It's just a polite way to phrase it.

It's Just polite. It would be rude to call one person a lady and another a woman, too easy for the difference in description to be misinterpreted.

It’s fine, Fir example I always say DS move out of the Lady’s way if he is walking too close etc. I wouldn’t say move out the girls/woman’s way as that sounds rude

Better than calling grown women girls which a lot seem to do

I was about 14/15 and working in a shop when someone first called me 'the lady' (a parent to a child). It felt weird at that age. 25 is fine.

I was about 15 when I first got referred to as “The Lady” and still in my teens when I got the dreaded “Ma’am” in America.

I hate it. It does make me feel old. The latest one I’m getting all the time is “Love” by shop assistants only 8 or so years younger. Before lockdown people were routinely shocked to learn I was in my mid 30s not late twenties and I was constantly being sent links and opportunities by colleagues and friends for under 30s. I must have developed a weathered hard done by look!

It's perfectly normal, just politeness.

I think it's fine- it describes an adult woman. I worked in retail aged 23-27 and spent four years as "the lady". I never minded the description, more that it was used in sentences like "don't touch that, the lady will be cross", "if you touch that mannequin the lady will tell you off".

It's fine for any adult. It sounds polite and professional. On the other hand I'd find 'woman' (i.e "the woman over there") quite rude and 'young lady' extremely patronising!

What? Bizarre logic.

@EyeDrops

It's fine for any adult. It sounds polite and professional. On the other hand I'd find 'woman' (i.e "the woman over there") quite rude and 'young lady' extremely patronising!

I agree with this. Lady is just a polite, general term

I use woman and man regardless of age.

@EyeDrops

It's fine for any adult. It sounds polite and professional. On the other hand I'd find 'woman' (i.e "the woman over there") quite rude and 'young lady' extremely patronising!

I wonder if you’re the ‘woman’ who once complained about me when I referred to you as ‘woman.’ 😂

I say it about people I don't know, I thought it was polite.

I think it's odd to call any female a lady once you're over the age of 8. The word is 'woman'. Unless they have the title 'Lady' of course.

@MinnieMountain - that's what I do.

WTF? What exactly is rude about 'woman'??

Is "man" equally rude? Or do you always say gentleman in order to avoid being impolite?

I hate the word lady, I don't know why people use it as adults. For some reason people are afraid of the word woman. Weird.

@EyeDrops
It's fine for any adult. It sounds polite and professional. On the other hand I'd find 'woman' (i.e "the woman over there") quite rude and 'young lady' extremely patronising!

Why is 'woman' rude?
I genuinely can't fathom why 'woman' may be considered rude. It's just the female description of the male 'man'. Is 'man' as a description considered rude as well?

Actually, on reflection “woman” does sound rude, “girl” equally patronising as “young lady”...

Do we need this terms though? I feel like I never hear “sweetheart, move out of the gentleman’s way!” and Sir is rarely used outside of school...

“careful, don’t get in the way!”

Instead of “Mind the lady!” ?

“The shop assistant in the blue top said you’d be able to help me...”

rather than

“the lady in the blue top..” etc?

But I think most people are unlike me and don’t mind “The Lady”/“Ma’am”/“Love” -
I’m just an irritable bugger!

Ah I hadn't seen the post that thinks the word woman is rude 😂 How ridiculous!

I’m 30 and the only thing I get called is ‘girl’. I even got called ‘that young girl’ a few weeks ago. I’m married, job, mortgage and have DD but I still don’t qualify for ‘woman’. I’m being over sensitive but I would much rather ‘lady’.