Are You a Lady? ?

No, that does not follow.

The receptionist might well say "The gentleman who has come to fix the water leak has arrived."

So what ‘problem’ do you infer if the receptionist says ‘man’ rather than ‘gentleman’?

The receptionist might never refer to a specific man as "a man", always referring to a specific man as "a gentleman".

In the early days of feminism it was better to be a woman than a lady. I still feel 'lady' patronises a woman.

Calling a man a gentleman is cringingly twee.

StarDreamer

The receptionist might never refer to a specific man as "a man", always referring to a specific man as "a gentleman".

Is it me, or ?‍♀️?

StarDreamer
The receptionist might never refer to a specific man as
a "man", always referring to a specific man as "a gentleman".

There again, she might not?
?

I really don’t understand, SD. You said that if the receptionist referred to you as a man it may sound as if there’s a problem. What problem might there be? We’ve already established that she might call a plumber a gentleman. Please clarify!

I really do live in a different world lol.I've never heard anyone called "squire" it would probab;y be an insult if it was said,calling someone a MAN is normal and when I was growing up every man in Glasgow was called Jimmy by workmates and other men in pubs and in the street ...I'm sure Billy Connelly did a great story about it

It’s frequently heard in London.

Caleo

In the early days of feminism it was better to be a woman than a lady. I still feel 'lady' patronises a woman.

Can you explain how you feel it patronises a woman please?

For example, a female student knocks at the staff room door in a university.

A man who is in the staff room goes to the door and opens it.

The female student asks if she could speak with Mr. Smith.

The man turns and calls out, into the room,

"Mr Smith, there is a lady asking to speak with you."

Do you regard that man as patronising (whatever you mean by that) the female student by referring to her as a lady?

If so, why?

It seems to me, male, as a perfectly correct, polite, way for the man to have behaved.

I genuinely would like to know how that is perceived to be wrong.

Germanshepherdsmum

I really don’t understand, SD. You said that if the receptionist referred to you as a man it may sound as if there’s a problem. What problem might there be? We’ve already established that she might call a plumber a gentleman. Please clarify!

What if the receptionist got it wrong? Maybe a woman/lady after all..

ixion

StarDreamer
The receptionist might never refer to a specific man as
a "man", always referring to a specific man as "a gentleman".

There again, she might not?
?

Now if I had suggested that the receptionist is female, well ...

I agree with you Caleo.
Why are we so sensitive about being addressed as a woman (if we are) and why is it considered rude or improper? I don’t get it!
We are not living in the 18th century.

Caleo

Calling a man a gentleman is cringingly twee.

Why? It seems to me that referring to a specific adult male as a gentleman is polite. There is nothing wrong with being polite.

It shows that people are still riven by class distinction, making Victorian judgements about whether someone is a lady or a woman, a gentleman or a man. Dated, ridiculous and distasteful.

Germanshepherdsmum

It’s frequently heard in London.

Especially in The Winchester Club, with Arfur, Terry and Dave

CaravanSerai

It shows that people are still riven by class distinction, making Victorian judgements about whether someone is a lady or a woman, a gentleman or a man. Dated, ridiculous and distasteful.

Not if "lady" and "gentleman" are always used.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

M’am and Sir are used frequently in USA in shops, hotels, cabs etc.

Well the USA may speak the same(ish) language, but we don’t have identical cultures, thankfully.

What happened to gentlewoman - the literal gender opposite of gentleman?

That would sound very strange nowadays.

A receptionist would (or should) ask for the person’s name and company name, eg, “John Smith from Best Plumbers in reception.”

Quotes a deleted post.