In Search of Chivalry Did it sink with the Titanic?

National Review Online ^ | April 13, 2006 | Carrie Lukas

[HungarianGypsy]

I have gone onto buses with a few children and holding a baby. One of the nicest things I ever saw was an older man stand for my children and nudge a younger man to give up his seat, as well. If the bus is full and a lady gets on the bus and goes near our seat, I will often have my oldest son offer his seat. A lot of times, it is not accepted, though.

[HungarianGypsy]

The first homeschooling family I ever met had children who said "ma'am" and "sir". I thought it quaint and have since worked on teaching my children the same. I even have the habit of saying it. I mentioned this on an email list on I am on. A lot of the women said they did not like it when people said ma'am. One even said children sound snotty when they say it. I think it might if forced, but not when it's a habit.

It's incredibly cute to hear my three year old ask, "Are you are a sir or a ma'am?" since he is still trying ot figure it out.

[Casaubon]

being from TX I say "mam" all the time.

everytime I have been up north my use of mam has had mixed reviews.
1: Don't call me mam...I am not old enough
2: Mam?!?!...this is 2006 don't use those old repressive anti-women words to me!
3: Mam?...oh how sweet...nice to see a gentleman still exist.
4: Mam??...you are not from here are you??

I refuse to change from being a southern gentleman so "mam" will stay in my dictionary...right next to "y'all"

[Savage Beast]

Yep, I done good--i.e., I was lucky.

[Dionysius]

The scene was almost as satisfying as when Susie Sarandon falls off the wing of that airplane in "The Great Waldo Pepper". That one will wear out your rewind.

[Dionysius]

Chivalry didn't die, it was assassinated by ugly lesbians.

[null and void]

Yeah, well coastal California is a whole different country. Real civilization doesn't start until you are at least 100 km from the ocean. Dammit.

[null and void]

It's incredibly cute to hear my three year old ask, "Are you are a sir or a ma'am?" since he is still trying to figure it out.

LOL! When my daughter was a little bit older than that we had to go to a barbecue at my bosses' house. She wanted to know which one was the girl, Jim or Henry? (They're gay).

For some reason not long after that, I got terminated...

[buckeyesrule]

I've got to go read this HArvey Mansfield book. If Naomi Wolf doesn't like it it must be good. LOL!

[buckeyesrule]

***I used to say "yes ma'am", but two weeks in NY, and about a 100 "don't call me ma'am"s later i stopped.***

It's kinda funny to watch American Idol sometimes when you have alot of these young singers who grew up in the south who have been taught to refer to elders as "yes maam", "no maam", and the older New Yorkers or Hollywood types are like UGHH!!!! stop calling me maam. LOL!