Ronni Bennett on her blog,"Time Goes By" has an excellent post about the demeaning "terms of endearment" some people use when addressing elders.
I had a routine chest Xray last week as part of a pre op physical in preparation for arthroscopic surgery of my knee which has a meniscis tear.
The Xray tech, about 40 years old female, called me "young lady" twice. This irrates me. I know I am not young although I am SURE I am a LADY!!
I don't want to curse so I am trying to think of a way to correct someone when they use these demeaning names.
My husband said to tell her my name and say " I prefer you use my name instead of "young lady"
Any suggestions for a good retort?
9 comments:
You just need to say "Honey" I was young once...but that was a while back so you can call me by my name now, thank you...Would you like me to call you 'Young Lady' or just use your name as well?"
Good advice, Tabor. I would have said...."I am neither young, nor a lady - so call me by my name, please."
Good ones Tabor and Kenju..
thanks
Tabor has the bet answer yet. I can't top it. I just wish I had thought of it when I was called young lady.
My reply is -- I'm not your honey and you sure aren't mine. Or is Kay too difficult for you?
I really, really object to the "young lady" bit from a younger man. I tell such idiots (male or female), "I'm an old woman, not a young lady!"
Cop Car
P.S. I try not to get too cheeky if the offender might actually be older than I am.
At my age, I'm not much on mincing words, so my reply is not appropriate to repeat, but I do know the feeling. Keep us posted if it happens again and how you handle it!
These comments remind me of a pin that my secretary gave me in the mid-1980s. It showed one frog speaking to another, saying, "That's 'MS Frog, to you, Bub!'" She (the secretary) was a jewel!
Cop Car
Working in the medical profession I see these "terms of endearment" being tossed about all the time... both to the young and your right, especially to the elderly. I admit to even having done it myself on occasion.. never "young lady" but sometimes, "Dear" or "Hon." Thanks for this post Chancy... I will be using names from now on. :-)
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