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English is weird
hedgie:
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 31 Aug 2020, 15:05 ---I once wondered why calling someone by their first name was such a big deal. Missing said formality, English lacks a certain middle ground. In German I can call someone by first name, but still use the formal "Sie". That has become a rarity, but still is an option.
--- End quote ---
We've by and large gotten rid of the formality in most cases, and that's even true in US Spanish, where people I barely knew used the familiar form, and were obviously not trying to be insulting.
Tova:
The schwa conversation has reminded me that Melbourne residents are so terribly keen to persuade visitors to pronounce the schwa in their city’s name, they refer to themselves as “Melburnites.”
snubnose:
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 31 Aug 2020, 15:05 ---In German I can call someone by first name, but still use the formal "Sie". That has become a rarity, but still is an option.
--- End quote ---
While some people indeed do that, it sounds REALLY odd, as far as I can tell its not really propper German, and I'm also unaware this was ever common.
Case:
--- Quote from: snubnose on 08 Sep 2020, 03:07 ---
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 31 Aug 2020, 15:05 ---In German I can call someone by first name, but still use the formal "Sie". That has become a rarity, but still is an option.
--- End quote ---
While some people indeed do that, it sounds REALLY odd, as far as I can tell its not really propper German, and I'm also unaware this was ever common.
--- End quote ---
IIRC, that wasn't uncommon until recently as a way to imply social hierarchy - eg. with bosses addressing their underlings. Look for some movies from the 50s and 60s, where some character tells their secretary "Frau Ursuala, bitte schreiben Sie".
cybersmurf:
--- Quote from: Case on 08 Sep 2020, 03:22 ---
--- Quote from: snubnose on 08 Sep 2020, 03:07 ---
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 31 Aug 2020, 15:05 ---In German I can call someone by first name, but still use the formal "Sie". That has become a rarity, but still is an option.
--- End quote ---
While some people indeed do that, it sounds REALLY odd, as far as I can tell its not really propper German, and I'm also unaware this was ever common.
--- End quote ---
IIRC, that wasn't uncommon until recently as a way to imply social hierarchy - eg. with bosses addressing their underlings. Look for some movies from the 50s and 60s, where some character tells their secretary "Frau Ursuala, bitte schreiben Sie".
--- End quote ---
DARN MILLENNIALS ARE DESTROYING HIERARCHIES!
But seriously. All the companies I've worked for were either too small for much of a hierarchy, so big that you didn't really have had anything to do with the "higher ups", or had really flat hierarchies.
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