[Fleecewife]

I've also always found it unfair that young women would be called "Miss firstname" - nobody ever used "Mr firstname" - or did they? Seemed to be perfectly OK to say Miss Annie, but not Mr Davie... All part an parcel of keeping females in their place (even if it's subconscious in most cases these days...)

For young men/boys the equivalent address would have been Master Davie.

[Rupert the bear]

Sir.


yeah right !

[Lesley Silvester]

I've also always found it unfair that young women would be called "Miss firstname" - nobody ever used "Mr firstname" - or did they? Seemed to be perfectly OK to say Miss Annie, but not Mr Davie... All part an parcel of keeping females in their place (even if it's subconscious in most cases these days...)

For young men/boys the equivalent address would have been Master Davie.

And why are boys Master until the reach a certain age but girls are Miss until they get married (or insist on Ms)?

[Ina]

Ah yes - and Master implies being top dog, whereas Miss implies subordination!

[Penninehillbilly]

Interesting reading people's thoughts, i don't think many really think about it, i don't, 
But I suppose doctors/nurses etc use Christian name message to put you at ease, can't remember what they called me, a while since I've been. I don't care as long as they get me right.
I think too much is made of Miss, Ms or Mrs,  I'm proud to be Mrs,
OH doesn't use his first name, so when someone phones and asks for James I know it's telemarketing.

[Steph Hen]

Dundee hospital staff were all first name terms for the week I was in having my son. I struggle with faces anyway and with so many drugs, infection, blood loss, shift changes, (and something more important to look at, I'd. New son) couldn't remember hardly anyone's names.  Then they ask "has Emily bee to see you yet?" And I stare back... "Emily: slim, glasses..?" More staring from me "may have taken bloods?" I never knew, I felt like a pin cushion, so they always had to check my notes. I kept saying "thank you SO much for all your help!" (Then my husband would say "you haven't met her before!")
I felt bad because they made so much of an effort to befriend me but everyone looked the same in their uniforms. 

When salesmen start using my 1st name overly I have been known to correct them to "Dr. O'Connor" and then I have all the power back and can make them answer my questions and stop prattling on with what they want to say.

I think there IS something to be said about control and power with name use by medical staff. Personally I think everyone should get their prefix and then it's a level playing field.

[Louise Gaunt]

I feel the use of first names all the time is another sign of th erosion of respect for each other in society. It imparts an informality to what in many cases, is a serious and difficult time, I.e. Receiving bad news at the doctors etc. This might seem an old fashioned view, but in my my view, it is much better to start on a basis of formality, Mr, Mrs, Dr, etc, and then move on to first names if appropriate once a relationship has been established between the two parties concerned. It also avoids the embarrassment of using I liked names - I never use my first name, but our current bank manager called my Martha at our first meeting - if he had called me Mrs Gaunt Imowuld have asked him to call me Louise, avoiding me having to correct him as our first ever interchange. Bring back a bit more formality in my view, in terms of address, dress and behaviour!

[SallyintNorth]

But... I hate Miss or Mrs, so if they use the formal address, then my first sentence is a correction!  I always say, "Just call me Sally", to avoid the correction, but the thing is - you can't please everyone!

[MAK]

Fortunately I have not used health care revives for over 40 years and then it was a quick A&E visit for post match stitches. What does grate on me is when you are sat opposite someone who is form filling and they ask for a Christian name. I would have thought by now that people should appreciate that many people are not Christian or have no religion.