Are You a Lady? ?

I gather no-one is supposed to say 'Ladies and Gentlemen' these days in case of upsetting those who identify as Other. As for 'Lady'. I guess it depends. If the golf club bore is asking "And what would the ladies like to drink?" or something like that, it sounds horribly patronising and yet somehow in that context it is probably better than saying 'women'. Generally I prefer to be referred to as a woman. Not a girl. And NEVER a cis-woman. I am not a subspecies of my own gender.

I would rather be called ‘ladies’ than ‘guys’.

As my mum used to say- I don’t mind what you call me as long as you don’t call me late for tea

I was always told to be a lady in the drawing-room and a whore in the bedroom - it has worked well for me:-)

What do you think about being called a lady? (My underline). It's a polite form of verbal address, especially in the plural (as Whiff says) to substitute for proper names.

Hear hear

I like to think that I'm a lady - but I do think that this is old fashioned now.
In OakDryad's exercise - I would use Lady for numbers 1 & 2, but woman or women for the rest.

Similarly, as Cabbie21 points out, I would want a hairdresser to refer to me as her "lady", rather than woman or person.

I didn’t used to mind the various love, darling, my lovely etc but now I feel they are saying it because of my age, like they do in care settings. In shops I would rather be called ‘madam’ or nothing at all. If they know my surname then Mrs Sky.

I would somehow rather be referred to as an old lady than an old woman. But I'm not exactly sure why. And from children and teenagers "that lady over there" somehow sounds much more pleasant and polite than "that woman". Maybe it's just a generational thing. Having said that, I do understand the snobby connotations and therefore why some dislike it.

I really don't mind what I'm called, my delivery man just called me 'love' half an hour ago. As long as it's nothing rude then people can call me what they like.

Personally I don’t mind lady or woman, so long as it isn't ‘girl’.
I too refuse to be offended unless it’s intended to be derogatory.

i have been called a lady but usually ignore it, the only time i answered back was a stupid man arguing with me and he said...oh your such a lady, my reply was....i am not a lady, i am a bitch and you would do well to remember that. the look on his face was priceless. i always think of a lady as snooty with a twin set and matching shoes and handbag.....sorry to any ladies....lol.

My boss always says to her young daughter ‘ say thank you to the ladies’ as she leaves nursery. I always think it’s lovely.

I really don't care if i am called lady, Hen, Love, Duck etc but please i am far to old to be called a girl.

Don't care. So long as it's not intended to be insulting I refuse to be offended.

At gym the trainer says see you next time ladies - se you next time women would sound really weird.
Long time ago, we were referred to as ladies in waiting on our antenatal visits. My 33 year old friend much preferred that to ‘elderly primagravida’
School secretary tells me there’s a lady to see me (if she doesn’t recognise the mum).
I go for a night out with the ‘girls’.
I don’t mind really, as long as people are polite. There’s a ‘woman’ to see you could be anything nowadays.

I was called a lady yesterday I quite like it as it sounds polite.

Thanks Spinnaker, I found one with a video but couldn't link from YouTube

Thank you Spinnaker ? (sniff)

Yes, ixiom. 500 "ladies" screaming at Chippendale acts at our local theatre would shock Trollope's polite society.

Coming back around to what FC asked in her opening post:

What do you think about being called a lady? (My underline). It's a polite form of verbal address, especially in the plural (as Whiff says) to substitute for proper names.

However, it can also be used in a mocking, mansplaining sense - e.g. the American: Look, lady .... we often hear in dramas.

Interesting thread.

There you go Fanny - one for you, enjoy

youtu.be/5FhKteIE_s4

You want to see 'Ladies' Nights' round here in WAG territory.
Would make your hair curl?

I am a woman never been a lady. But I do say see you next week ladies to my exercise class. As saying see you next week women sounds stupid. And we are way to old to be called girls. Mind you my 93 year old neighbour did say a few months ago I was nout but a girl I am 64.

Where I used to live when I shopped in Waitrose was always called madam . First time I ask why and was told it was shop policy to address women as madam and men as sir.

My mom said she didn't mind what anyone called her as long as it wasn't late for dinner. She was full of funny sayings. ?

OakDryad

Ladyleftfieldlover

When I was a management trainee at John Lewis many years ago, I was told off for referring to a customer as a woman. I was supposed to call her a lady! I’ve always thought a lady was someone who behaved well and maybe had one or two airs and graces!

That reminds me of when I asked a JL assistant, in their once extensive Oxford Street fabric department, to direct me to some cheap fabric for a budget project I was planning. He replied: We don’t say cheap, madam. We prefer inexpensive.

Love it!?

Yes, I agree, it was a classic

FannyCornforth

Spinnaker I knew that it was going to be that!

A good ‘lady’ song is by, I think, could be wrong, Peter Starstedt (sp?)
It’s called You’re a Lady. I think it came out in the early 80s.
It’s got a lot of piano and brass band in it.
It used to make me cry when I was a hormonal teenager

It was Peter Skellern, I think, FannyC