Yesterday at the gym, in sharp succession, was called “Sir” by
two young men (probably high school age). One replied, “Yes,
sir” when I asked if I was going in the direction of the change
rooms. The other banged the door into me and gave me a curt,
“Sorry, sir”. When I’m called Sir, I’m always in shock and it
got me thinking – how does it vary around the world, the use of
this honorarium? For me, it is a sign of getting old but also
something much more. I get called “Sir” in all sorts of
situations where I wouldn’t have thought it would be used. I had
really thought that it was going out of fashion and actually
remember telling students overseas that it was inappropriate to
use. Ha, little I know! Seems well used in my part of the world
– Central Canada. What about in your part of the world? Do you
teach students that this is a “living form” of English. I’m
curious because forms of politeness are always changing and I
had thought this one was being buried, it was supposed to be
gone with the decline of the Br