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.

I use lady and gentleman when I'm talking about people I don't know in their presence eg "Come out of the gentleman's way," or "This lady is talking to you." It seems more polite sometimes, and I certainly don't mind if I get called lady or woman.

I loved being called Ma'am in the US.

Woman is the correct term for an adult female. However if I was saying "let the lady past" to my DC, I would also say "let the gentleman past". Lady = gentleman. Woman = man. Simple.

Woman sounds so rude in some places though? If you're referring to someone, like when I'm with my children -
"Say thank you to the lady"
"Say thank you to the woman"

Lady is polite - no matter age

@DidoLamenting
Thanks for the tip! Is feminist also a rude word?! Lol.

[quote NoCureForLove]@DidoLamenting
Thanks for the tip! Is feminist also a rude word?! Lol.[/quote]
"Lol" are you actually 14? I find it very difficult to take the opinion of anyone who uses "lol" very seriously- regardless of whether she thinks she is a feminist.

Do you have a difficulty with women having a different opinion from you? Or do you get a nice, smug feeling of superiority sneering at other posters on FWR?

[quote NoCureForLove]@DidoLamenting
Thanks for the tip! Is feminist also a rude word?! Lol.[/quote]
Actually you typify what I dislike most about "feminists". You seem incapable of taking on board anyone else's views on this thread and then off you go to FWR and moan about how depressing all the silly women on AIBU who aren't like you are.

I call women lady, people call me lady. I don't see the problem.

I always use Lady and Gentleman. Just seems more respectful somehow.

You are truly very good at lamenting Dido!
I am a feminist. Not a "feminist".

Weirdly, I don't think lady is that polite unless you are talking to a Lady McF ** Di da.

I've always associated lady with 'cleaning lady' or 'dinner lady' which is fine, but you never talk about 'solicitor lady' or 'banker lady' do you?

So I stick to woman.

Only just getting used the odd time in referred to as a lady at 29. I've never been keen on woman though!

@TheYearOfSmallThings

I say lady rather than woman, especially to my DS(5). I can't imagine myself asking him to "move out of this woman's way". To me that sounds rude.

I don’t know why but that made me giggle - it’s true! 😂

I remember a mum telling her son to move out the lady's way so I turned round so I could also move out her way. Turns out she was referring to me

I dont find it offensive I just dont think of my self as a lady at all

I first got called "lady" aged 16... by a toddler. I was on the swings and a little voice piped up "mummy what's that lady doing?" 😂 Gave me a bit of a shock bc even in my work clothes I didn't look all that old! But yeah I agree in retail you get called "the lady" all the time, or if you're lucky "the nice lady". What I didn't like was being referred to as "the young girl" in a dismissive tone (usually by older women, incidentally), especially when I was staffing a shop floor alone and therefore clearly responsible.

@NoCureForLove

Woman = adult human female. Nothing rude about that.

unfortunately the word woman is used in a derogatory way, knuckle dragging men use the term to speak to their wives in an insulting and aggressive manner, Stupid woman, silly old woman, the other woman, women drivers to name a few. It’s completely wrong that the term woman is used in this way but unfortunately it’s now in the subconscious through years of hearing it in derogatory terms and that’s why lady is used I think.

@CheetasOnFajitas

Who’s she? The cat’s mother? is reserved for when someone goes straight to “she” without saying the person’s name. Often with pointing. That’s what’s rude.

“Why are you eating a sweet?”
“She said I could”

Instead of “Aunty Betty said I could” or “Granny said it was OK”.

I know this thread is a few months old, but I noticed some of these posts about the word "she" when I was looking through. For some reason I hate that phrase about a cat and one of its parents, it sounds really harsh and quite archaic to me, why not just say "she's got a name"? That wouldn't sound as condescending

It seems a bit over the top to refer to some imaginary feline and one of its parents, not that I have ever really heard the phrase much in real life. As ProudAuntie76 said, it's almost like some people think "she" is a rude word, it implies more that saying the woman being referred to has a name. I'm not saying "he" doesn't sound rude in certain contexts, but it's certainly perceived as less rude than "she", why?

Perhaps that's why there's no male equivalent to that harsh, old-fashioned phrase. From experience, I've not really seen men being offended at being called "he". It seems a bit misonigystic to think "she" is ruder than "he" and that it's some kind of insult

As long as it is not girl, whether it is lady or woman I would not have been fussed at 26.

I think lady is fine..."young lady" is patronising or sounds like you're being scolded by another era.

Sorry, I meant to type misogynistic, I just noticed the tying error

@Returnoftheowl

I think lady is fine..."young lady" is patronising or sounds like you're being scolded by another era.

I think "lady" can sound a bit too polite when man is just "man". "Gentleman" is rarely used as much and when it is, it is often in its literal sense as in "he's a real gentleman".

Although I'm a man, I cringe when I hear a girl or young woman being called "young lady", it just sounds so twee, over polite and formal, what's wrong with "young woman"? A boy or man would be just called "young man".

100+ years ago people did actually use "young woman" as a form of address, so when did "woman" become a dirty word?

I just call them ‘old bird’ or ‘fucking moron’ Seems to do the trick 😂😂

I always use lady or gentleman when saying something like 'be careful of the lady/gentleman' to DS unless the person is obviously still a child.

Did anyone see my first post about how some people think the word "she" is ruder than "he"?

Lady is being polite, using manners.

Women is a bit rude- like whose that, the cats mother 😂