Is it rude or condescending to use “Young Man/Young Lady”?

For whatever reason: That just gives me the “Jitters” or “creeps”? When like say an older man or woman or something stops you and says “Excuse me, Young Man”? Or “Excuse me Young Lady”??? You personally, do you find it rude or condescending for a person to address you by how old you look? I don’t go up to old people and greet them by: “Excuse me Old Timer, how’s it going?” Shouldnt older folks show same decency?

 

Me!,,you can call me young man! Course it’s obvious that “old fart” would be a better fit.

 

I got called 'young man' a few weeks ago, by a guy who was younger than our son.
The funny part was that he was trying to pay me a compliment, before asking for my help in a work problem that he was completely out of his depth with. He thought that after qualifying as a domestic electrician, he was competent to design an 11kv substation, without knowing his delta from his star.

 

It's never bothered me. I prefer it to being called "hon" or "sweetie" by a total stranger.

 

Wow. Enumerating the problems faced by humanity in this day and age, I'd put this one at about 17 million down the list.

 

The republican party has been attempting to censor even the phrase "Stupid Is As Stupid Does!" They've already censored Grims Fairytales, Pink Floyd, The Bible, The Dictionary, And The Encyclopedia.

If anyone is confused about what anything means, or whether anything is rude or polite, you will have to write your congressmen.

 

Yes I think it's condescending. When you adress someone like that it kind of belittles them because you are saying they are young and therefore naive.

 

I've heard the term used at the deli counter. I have never been offended by it. I had once asked a Philippine co-worker how to say Nurse as a title. I was told it's 'Ate' for a woman and 'kuya' for a man. I later found out that kuya is older brother. I said it to someone in his 20s. It was not well-received.
His loss!

 

I'm not so 'young' anymore but it absolutely depends on the context. Plenty of people use these terms with no negative connotation at all, in fact sometimes the opposite. No I don't have a problem with it, never have and probably never will.

 

Utterly ridiculous, I have to describe a person by the colour of their shirt when I am directing someone to them, despite the fact that they are the only black person in the room. To the person it is utterly confusing when someone looks for the colour of their shirt, rather than their face.

If the little green men from Mars paid us a visit, it would be complete gridlock, as the nanny state turned all the green traffic signals off. Even worse for the railways, not to mention the pappa signals as aircraft were trying to land. Meanwhile Jane could be out in the garden, painting the lawn and all the plants blue.

Regarding yourself, Scracho and I can still keep calling you Young Man.

Perhaps the most ridiculous situation ever, was when a UK government minister was forced to resign after saying that a situation was not black and white.
The simile simply refers to 100% contrast and originates from black ink on white paper.
Even black and white films have to be described as monochrome these days

In the famous words of Gandhi...... I am not black, I am brown...... And you are a dirty shade of pink.

 

I remember a contractor telling my mate "I'd like to speak to the man of the house, young lady."
Do you remember the scene in "Oppenheimer" where they tested a nuclear bomb in the desert?
Everyone ducked, averted their eyes, and covered their ears; "Detonation in three...two...one...!"

 

I'll gladly take it! I'm not getting any younger.

 

How 'bout the time I was laying in bed in an ER, and an RN who didn't look old enough to drive called me "Pops".

 

Jeezus! Some of y'all need to lighten up.

These things are not "microaggressions". They're well-intended epithets or, at worst, faux pas.

If we routinely take offense at ever smaller issues, we will never solve the big problems that we all face.

P.S., those big problems are likely existential. I doubt the small ones are.

 

I thought you only said "young man" to a boy because you were either mad at him or complimenting him because he was looking or behaving like a responsible adult.

 

I LOLed!

When I was a young man, I heard "young man" many a time, typically from my mom, and as my sister lurked in the background, grinning. Because it was frequently for something she had done.

Siblings! The source of trust issues since forever!

I've also used "young man" (more often, "young feller") when addressing men older than me. The context is key to telling ill-intent from everything else.

But I have yet to see words leave anyone on the floor hemorrhaging blood.

Words do not cause physical harm.

Bears might.

 

I'm 70, if a person is say under 30 I will address them as young lady or young man. Or if I'm giving my 67 year old buddy shit I call him Young Man just to be an asshole.