@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksaj said:
You see, there are people like my best friend Carl, who calls EVERYONE sir or madam. But if you ever spoke to him, even though he'd say it, it's so casual and cool, you wouldn't be put off at all. He's the only one I've ever seen who can pull that stunt.
Yes, HOW it is done does make a difference. And when people from outside of English speaking countries do it, you know that it is just a formality that they are emulating, not one done in a specific way.
Yup. Tone, pitch, timbre of the voice, all of it factor in.