Does anyone think it's weird if little kids call grown-ups by their first names?

What brenda said about the south. All of my friends' parents? Miss Emily, Miss Kay, Miss Judy, Mr. Dave, Mr. Doug, Mr. Paul.

'Sjust how it is.

'Sjust how it is.

See, I like that. It's a nice intermediate step, between people-I-don't-know-well and social equals. I think we called one of my teachers Mr. Dan.

I actually avoid calling my friends' parents anything at all when I can, just because this particular issue can be so annoying.

This is what I'm like when I visit Boston now. I have to ask Greg what I should be calling people befroe I meet them, and sometimes he's not even sure. So much uncertainty!

I went to a camp as a kid that got around the first name thing with a pretty good solution. All staff chose bird names, and kept them year after year. In time, I grew up and became staff.

I still answer to "NeNe".

I was Mercedes and my cabinmate was Pochahontas, or "Pokey." She actually became a pretty good friend, and when talking about her my friends call her Pokey-Kelly.

FtR, my chiropractor prefers 'Dr. Mike' to 'Dr. Santipadri'. And I grew up with honorific aunts and uncles.

I think exercise is a fake moral issue in the US. More of it wouldn't fix anything psychologically.

Isnt't that the author's point, that we have this myth in the US that exercise helps with self-esteem?

Does anyone think it's weird if little kids call grown-ups by their first names?

yes, I do. I was raised to never call anyone by their first name until invited to do so. Of course, I was raised in a military environment, so no one used first names, ever (my dad's BFF was Smitty). My bro is raising his daughter to call his friends Mr. or Ms. [firstname], which I like. It's respectful, but still connotes a closeness.

I actually avoid calling my friends' parents anything at all when I can, just because this particular issue can be so annoying.

yes, this. Especially now that we're all adults. It's awkward. My BFF's parents are Mom and Dad [last name]. My close friends have a nicknames of sorts for my parents. If I meet a friend's parents now, I say, nice to meet you Mr or Mrs [lastname].

Sometimes this causes problems because some people don't know I'm waiting for an invitation to call them by their first name, and instead think that I'm either distancing myself, or that I'm younger than I am.

In my quaker community, it Was Not Done to use honoriffics of any sort. However, as far as I was concerned, my public school teachers had no first names. Then I went to college down south. Miss, Miz, Mr, ma'am, sir, EVERYWHER. But a quaker college, so again with the no honorrifics, teachers used their first names. Except the creepy polisci prof. Up here, most kids call me Miz Sara, but then so do some adult neighbors. It really depends on the circle. And even then, I have no damned clue. I call people what they are introduced by, if I'm lucky.

"Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich", the "Asian Sesame Chicken Salad", or the "Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad"?

Asiago Roast Beef!

I think I'll go pick up my new glasses. And maybe grab some lunch on the way back.

I call people what they are introduced by, if I'm lucky.

Yes, that helps sometimes. But, if I'm being introduced to someone who says "this is Bob Smith", then where do I go?