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How do you refer to other women, unknown to you, when talking to your children?

28 replies

emkana · 30/05/2006 13:45

Possibly because I'm German I'm always unsure how to refer to other women I don't know when talking to my children - as for example in "Give the money to the lady" (in the shop) or "Make room for the lady"

Would you say that? Or not? Or what else?

OP posts:
PrincessBoris · 30/05/2006 13:45

lady

NomDePlume · 30/05/2006 13:46

lady (am from the North of England)

zippitippitoes · 30/05/2006 13:46

yes

pesme · 30/05/2006 13:46

lady

Twiglett · 30/05/2006 13:47

lady

LadySherlockofLGJ · 30/05/2006 13:47

lady

LilacBump · 30/05/2006 13:47

lady
(and if it's a man gentleman)

NomDePlume · 30/05/2006 13:48

I just use 'man', if it's a bloke

emkana · 30/05/2006 13:48

I got it right then! Phew! Smile

OP posts:
Feistybird · 30/05/2006 13:49

If the woman is present (say if we're in a shope or something) then I'd say lady. If we're talking amongst ourselves, I refer to women as women.

Don't really know why I draw a distinction.

Twiglett · 30/05/2006 13:49

although I must say when other people refer to me as a lady I do have a tendency to look around for my mother Grin

yorkshirelass79 · 30/05/2006 13:54

Feistybird I do the same!

fuzzywuzzy · 30/05/2006 13:56

if speaking in urdu aunty, if english lady

nailpolish · 30/05/2006 13:57

i dont like the word woman for some reason

Twiglett · 30/05/2006 13:59

My dad has a sister that they all called "Baby" .. so we were brought up to call her "Baby Aunty" .. how weird Grin .. lovely lady

nailpolish · 30/05/2006 14:00

ooh twig like Dirty Dancing Grin

zippitippitoes · 30/05/2006 14:00

woman seems to carry a perjorative meaning for some people..that was how exh used it

PiccadillyCircus · 30/05/2006 14:01

lady

nailpolish · 30/05/2006 14:01

woman is usually in the context of THAT woman

or so it seems to me

JackieNo · 30/05/2006 14:02

'Woman' seems to imply that the person in question isn't a lady.

CarolinaMoose · 30/05/2006 14:02

and I think feminists disapprove of "lady" for the same reason.

before having kids I used to think "lady" was ridiculously formal, but guess which word I use with ds now? Smile

megglevache · 30/05/2006 14:03

I say lady but ds has taken to correcting me and say "luuuverly lady" to anyone.

He's started the charm offensive good and early.

NomDePlume · 30/05/2006 14:04

lol meggy

motherinferior · 30/05/2006 14:04

I can't say 'lady'. DP's brothers call me a 'lady' and it does my head in.

JackieNo · 30/05/2006 14:04

As in 'Who was that lady I saw you with last night?' 'That was no lady, that was my wife' (or something like that).