What are the most polite and impolite ways to address someone?

Posted by AdamT_5@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 22 comments

We have many ways to address people, friends and strangers. Im referring to terms like mate, buddy, bro etc. What are your favorite and least favorite ones? Give us some context.. this should be interesting 🤔

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clemventure@reddit

Morning hope you have a wonderful day kind sir… “What you looking at your scruffy cunt”

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Glittering_Echo_7963@reddit

In both these scenarios I would thing they had some sort of disorder 😂

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MeOldChina321@reddit

Hahahahaha

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iffyClyro@reddit

Sir or Mam if you’re being genuinely polite but also if you’re giving someone a telling off.

All about the tone.

For casual, dude, fella or mate for guys. For lassies, it’s pal and that’s it.

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glasgowgeg@reddit

For casual, dude, fella or mate for guys. For lassies, it’s pal and that’s it.

If I were to hear someone I don't know in Glasgow calling me "mate" or "pal", I'd assume I was in immediate danger.

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0rangesAndLemons@reddit

I absolutely HATE it when people call me pal

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HistoryDisastrous493@reddit

You're not my pal, bud

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Useful_Canary_4157@reddit

Bud

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0rangesAndLemons@reddit

Lad

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HistoryDisastrous493@reddit

Anyone who does the "hmmm" emoji should be addressed impolitely, for a start...

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projeztzgb@reddit

Oi OP

Hello there OP

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FingersMartinez@reddit

Without swearing

Polite: alright youngun?

Impolite: 'ere mush.

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Fragrant-Prize-966@reddit

Bro is probably one of the worst. I got called that by a waiter in a Malaysian restaurant a couple of years ago. I'm sure he meant no harm and was probably just repeating what he'd heard on YouTube, but I was genuinely shocked, particularly since I was about 20rs older than him.

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jesusbambino@reddit

I think one of the least polite ways to address someone is to start talking to them without actually greeting them at all. Retail workers experience this a lot. It’s how one might speak to a PA or servant.

Most polite would be a simple salutation, maybe the odd honorific.

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mightytonto@reddit

In terms of signing off a email: ‘Kind Retards’

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evelynsmee@reddit

"Well pardon me young man" - start of a threat

"Alright cunt" - your friend

"Oy, cunt" - 50/50 friend or threat

Serious answer - hello works in all scenarios

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