The other day I was chatting with a woman who spoke of her daughter's 'long term partner'. I found myself asking 'Is that a male or female partner?' and the woman, without batting an eyelid, said 'Female'

Only later did it occur to me that there was a time when a)'partners' were business partners or tennis partners, not sexual partners

b) mothers did not acknowledge anything less than marriage or an engagement. Cohabiting daughters were not 'quite the thing' to mention.

and

c) asking whether the other party was of the same sex or not would not have been a natural or conversational enquiry.

What changes in the world around you have you only noted on reflection ?

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asking whether the other party was of the same sex or not would not have been a natural or conversational enquiry.

Hmm, Fred. It still isn't in the circles I move in. But you are always direct!

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Originally posted by dance girl:

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asking whether the other party was of the same sex or not would not have been a natural or conversational enquiry.

Hmm, Fred. It still isn't in the circles I move in. But you are always direct!

But you can't stand around not knowing whether to say 'he' or 'she' of them, waiting for a clue! It could be embarrassing if you guessed wrongly.

Mind, this is in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, which is a little different from Cambridge, Ontario (at a guess).We just take life and society as it is. It was outsiders who pointed out that our mayor is a transexual whose civil partner (as in 'gay marriage') is another transexual (both are now women).Being us, we neither cared nor noticed.What gender they have has nothing to do with whether they can get the traffic sorted out and the garbage collections on time.Anyway,Stonewall ( a gay and lesbian organisation) ranked us only 16th out of a hundred British towns and cities for 'gay friendliness' (the first 15 had shops stocking every Judy Garland record ). The shame of it!We do hope that we are friendly to all.

Nuns are wearing short dresses.

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What changes in the world around you have you only noted on reflection ?

In Spain, the second person formal form usted is dying out.

Clerks, bank tellers, and the like address everyone by their first name. I understand this has become an official policy at many businesses.

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Originally posted by juanruiz:
Clerks, bank tellers, and the like address everyone by their first name. I understand this has become an official policy at many businesses.

Yes, and very irritating it is. Last time some 'financial adviser' whom I'd never met before, addressed me by my first name I told him that I was his client, not his brother or his mate from the pub.

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Yes, and very irritating it is. Last time some 'financial adviser' whom I'd never met before, addressed me by my first name I told him that I was his client, not his brother or his mate from the pub.

It doesn't bother me any longer. I don't think most of the younger people consider it anything but being friendly, less formal. When one reaches my age young women find it perfectly natural to call me "Sweetie".

Sweetie, Frank? That must be because you are one . In London and the South of England the sure sign that you are getting old, but are not yet ancient, is that people of your own age and older call you "Young man".(That's that famous English use of humorous irony again)

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and very irritating it is.

Yes it is, particularly when it's some 18 year-old twit who is looking for the bar code on an item separator you've placed on the counter. Or when you have a substantial amount of money in a bank.

I never thought about causing offence by calling people by their first names. I do that.
When people come into the library, should I be calling them Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss? After all, it's a service they are paying for, albeit through their taxes.

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I don't think most of the younger people consider it anything but being friendly, less formal.

This is what makes Frank a glass half-full type of person, while I see it as half-empty. I think younger people are simply poorly educated boors, whose parents never took the time to teach them such things as courtesy. Perhaps the parents fit that description also.

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Originally posted by dance girl:
I never thought about causing offence by calling people by their first names. I do that.
When people come into the library, should I be calling them Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss? After all, it's a service they are paying for, albeit through their taxes.

Don't know. Rules are different over there, I expect. On the odd occasions when I've wandered into a library and approached the desk, I've always been addressed as 'Ssh'

Speaking of parents, I've noticed that all my kids' friends call me by my first name, where, when I was a child, I called all my friends parents "Mr. This" or "Mrs. That".

And on the glass filled half way with something, frank sees it as half full, and juan sees it half empty. I on the other hand see it like this: The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

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Originally posted by Kendor:
Speaking of parents, I've noticed that all my kids' friends call me by my first name, where, when I was a child, I called all my friends parents "Mr. This" or "Mrs. That".

And on the glass filled half way with something, frank sees it as half full, and juan sees it half empty. I on the other hand see it like this: The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Yup. The one time as a kid I called a grown man by his first name my father let me have it. Even now, I will use Frank here, but I have a hunch in person I'd call him Mr. Van, until invited otherwise.

As for the glass: true, except in the case of brandy snifters.

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On the odd occasions when I've wandered into a library and approached the desk, I've always been addressed as 'Ssh'

I have never ever "Shhhd" anybody. I really hate that image of librarians. I hope it's dying out.
I'd love to see libraries as places for people to meet, and hang out..just comfortable places to be.

jr, if met you all, I would have to call you "Mr jr," I guess.
I would certainly want to call Frank "sweetie", though I probably wouldn't be that forward
And as for Fred, I'd just say, "Good Boy," pat him on the head, and give him a dog biscuit!

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Originally posted by dance girl:

And as for Fred, I'd just say, "Good Boy," pat him on the head, and give him a dog biscuit!

[Puts on best Leslie Phillips voice]"Cor... Woooof, wooof !"

" I'd love to see libraries as places for people to meet and hang out..." Now, you see, that's what we want: no reading !

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Originally posted by juanruiz:
[

Yes it is, particularly when it's some 18 year-old twit who is looking for the bar code on an item separator

I've seen this Happen tried to swipe it in the Barcode reader

Meanwhile Most of the Younger Priests never have a surname now its Father Jack ,Bill ,Harry and so on.
I'm still addressed as Mr in the Social Security office though they do have to wear a name badge iIn some places they don't Say Jack Briggs its Just Mr J Briggs at most! They are going to be the Last institution dragged into the informal age.And, you very rarely get one to be friendly. I'll be very old if that happens in the whole of the office

Young women are wont to call me sweetie, young men call me something which is usually inaudible.

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jr, if met you all, I would have to call you "Mr jr," I guess

Don't have to call me anything. Just whistle...you know how to whistle...