Are You a Lady? ?

I’m not a lady.
I’m a right Madam.

Grannyjacq1

All ladies are women, but not all women are ladies?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_diagram

All ladies are women, but not all women are ladies?

FannyCornforth

Blossoming

I’m a woman, but I’m not offended by being referred to as a lady, or a guy for that matter.

I think that I dislike the word ‘guys’ so much as it’s heard so much in schools (by teachers to kids)
It’s especially loathsome when used with primary children.
It used to drive me potty, actually!

I worked in a secondary school and when addressing a class often used the term 'guys' as it is less condescending than 'boys and girls', though if they were behaving particularly badly I might call them 'children' in a sarcastic tone! Alternatively I called them, for example, year 9'.
When I worked in an all girls school we used either 'girls' or 'ladies'.
I see no problem with having a 'girls night out' with friends, while a 'ladies night' sounds odd to me.

Don't mind; I answer to both!

A group of women would surely not be addressed in an email/letter as, "Dear women," would they? Surely "Dear ladies" would be preferable. I am in a group of over 70 ladies and a certain person with whom we have to interact insists on addressing us as, "Girls." We hate it, it seems so condescending.

Couldn't care less what I am called most of the time but if I really didn't like how I was addressed I think I would have to say. Or would I? Am I too much of a lady?

I don’t mind, better than being called an old chook at least.

Usernametaken

Don’t mind being called a Lady, what I despise is being called “Madam” !!!!!
Makes me cringe ?

Can you say why please?

I had not quoted before, I had not realised that the discussion had received further posts.

Can you say why please?

I don't mind what I'm called as long as it's polite and a feminine description!

I like being a lady or woman and I’m making headway into reclaiming Spinsterhood.

Yes I’m a woman lady naturally born ?? not born.

Don’t mind being called a Lady, what I despise is being called “Madam” !!!!!
Makes me cringe ?

Hello Fanny

Is my male perspective on this of interest?

I use the word 'lady' and not 'woman' if the need arises to refer to someone adult and female. I do that because I am trying to be respectful.

For examples,

"There is a lady on the telephone asking to speak to you."

"When I rang yesterday, I spoke to a lady who was telling me about your range of products. Is she there please?"

However, I never use 'young lady' or 'old lady' or 'elderly lady'.

There is a wikipedia article about the use of the word 'lady'.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady

Also, if needing to answer a question as to which lady in a group, I would not refer to anything about her age, skin colour, or physical appearance; though that can present problems if they are all in the same uniform.

I notice that in that article there is the following.

> a man in the same context would not necessarily be referred to as a "gentleman".

In fact, I do use the word 'gentleman' in such contexts.

For examples,

"There is a gentleman on the telephone asking to speak to you."

"When I rang yesterday, I spoke to a gentleman who was telling me about your range of products. Is he there please?"

OakDryad

This is an interesting exercise:

For each of the example sentences below, you have to decide whether to fill the blank with ‘woman/women’ or ‘lady/ladies’.

1. She was a perfect ——— about it.

2. The church flowers were arranged by the ——— of the congregation.

3. Esther thought of her grandmother as a strong and capable ———.

4. Some ——— reported that they experienced multiple orgasms.

5. In Victorian times, it was common for ———to die in childbirth.

6. A ———was raped in the city centre last night.

If you found yourself making an an intuitive preference can you explain why?

I used woman or women in all of your sentences, except the first.

Not that I would have used that particular sentence myself. I would instinctively say, " She was very nice about it."

To me "lady" implies either that it is used to convey that the women concerned adhere to a higher standard of good manners, or is due to an outdated sense of class.

Neither case applies in the other sentences, as whether or not a person died in childbed in Victorian times, or in Africa today has nothing to do with social status.

I admit a child might regard her grandmother as a strong and capable lady, but to me, as an adult, woman is preferable there too.

I knew a true gentleman who owned a hotel in my home town - he used to call me Tha Lady Sarah, and convinced all his guests in the bar that I was a real aristocratic Lady. Apparently I was 'marrying down' as I was engaged to his chef...

I think it is a lovely term, I know many women, but wouldn't call them ladies...I've only met a few who earnt that title in my life so far.

Dempie sorry that ‘old lady’ made me laugh!

I'm quite happy to be referred to as a lady, in fact I'd take it as a compliment. I don't always behave like one! I don't really mind what people call me, except guy, I hate that!

I quite like being called a "lady", but not an "old lady", as in "Mind you don't bump into that old lady!" spoken yesterday by a mother to her child cycling near me in the park.

My old mother used to tell me, "Women live in streets. Ladies live in roads, drives, or avenues...."

I am quite happy to be called a lady or a woman. I hate being referred to as a 'guy'.

Definitely!! I think gentlemen are a good thing too! Also children and young people - you know the word I'm not saying.

I actually like being called a lady as long as the person keeps the age reference out of it. . People who call older women ‘young lady’ make me want to punch them in the face lol so bloody condescending.
I really don’t appreciate being referred to as an old lady either lol even if I am ?

I've just remembered - I was at a poetry reading recently and a very dishy poet introduced his poem with reference to his lady (meaning his wife/girlfriend, not a damsel in a Romantic poem). It's old fashioned, probably a bit 'poety', and I'm not sure that I would want to be called that by Mr Dog, but I have to say it was very sexy .

FannyCornforth

timetogo2016

My Dh calls me his lovely lady and i recieved a letter from the NHS referring to me as a lady.
Looks weird on paper,i prefer a woman all day long.

Consultant’s letters are weird.

There was a thread on MN some years ago discussing whether they way the patient was described was some sort of code used by HCP’s.

A letter that I recently received from a surgeon, referred to me as ‘this pleasant 54 year old lady’.

I was fine with lady; I would have hoped for something more effusive than pleasant; and he got my age wrong!

I think that DH got a consultant’s letter describing him as a ‘charming gentleman’.

I was referred by consultant to another as this very charming lady …I’m really showing off here!

I don’t mind “guys”.
When I was little saying “woman” was not acceptable, you had to say lady, but I’m not bothered by either really although I sometimes find “ladies “ a bit patronising …eg from male waiter. Easy enough to say “ is everyone ready to order ?”