Are you a snobby ****

[pintsofguinness]

Here, almost everyone when introducing themselves don't use their first name, they're "Mrs Smith" "Mr Jones" etc and it gets on my f**king nerves!
What is the point! Why wouldn't you use your first name? To me, if someone does that they are being a snobby f**ker and they're almost requiring you to refer to them as Mrs Smith or Mr Jones (I met a Mrs Topliss last week but that's off topic).
I instantly find it very hard to like them. I would NEVER introduce myself, to anyone, as Mr ____________. 

I've a feeling it's more of an English thing but does anyone here do it and if so, why?!  I want to hear your justification. 

[Farrandeelin]

Only to the children I teach. That's because I don't want them finding out other personal stuff about me.

[pintsofguinness]

Only to the children I teach. That's because I don't want them finding out other personal stuff about me.

Well teacher's do that, I think that should be done away with though but it doesn't bother me.

Do you think the children don't know your first name though?

[ziggysego]

When people call me Mr. _________, I get all weird and automatically assume something's wrong.

[Tony Baloney]

It must be an English thing as I don't know anyone who refers to themselves as Mister. Young fellas in Belfast are fond of referring to people as Mister i.e "here mister go into the offie for us".

The teachers in the wife's school refer to the Head as "Mister..." rather than his first name. Strange!

[dubai2000]

when i take a call from HM Revenue & Customs you ask who is calling its Mr/Mrs etc.

I rang up 1 day, answered hello hmrc leonard speaking, I said yes leonard hows it going, the reply was that its mr leonard lol!!!

[ziggysego]

I wonder what words of wisdom Mr. Olly will have on this.

[leenie]

i look down my nose at snobs!

[Tyrones own]

Oh definitely, as a matter of fact I think I'll have you all address me as Mr.Tyrones own from here on out
...just out of respect like

[ziggysego]

Someone once addressed me as ______ _______ Esquire. I found that a bit weird. I wonder if the fact she was a Lady had anything to do with it?

[Never beat the deeler]

'Maybe, just once, someone will call me "sir" without adding, "you're making a scene."'

Homer J 

[Pangurban]

Its a matter of courtesy and good manners, to address someone as they themselves wish to be addressed. Some people , particularly from the older generation are uncomfortable with familiarity.

[Farrandeelin]

Only to the children I teach. That's because I don't want them finding out other personal stuff about me.

Well teacher's do that, I think that should be done away with though but it doesn't bother me.

Do you think the children don't know your first name though?

More than likely they do, but I wouldn't like them calling out my first name in a class situation. I don't know why.

[passedit]

Its a matter of courtesy and good manners, to address someone as they themselves wish to be addressed. Some people , particularly from the older generation are uncomfortable with familiarity.

Indeed PB, I still, after many years of marriage can't bring myself to address the MIL by her first name and I find it extremely odd when my BIL's do.

On another related (sic) note my mother used to have a stock answer of 'there's noone here by that name' when anyone called asking for any of the shortened version's of my name. I was just happy they were using any version of my first name as I got only my surname out and about.

[Hardy]

Definitely an English thing, in my experience. I often wonder how that race ever managed to reproduce itself.

On the other hand, everyone has his own comfort level with familiarity and there is an age dimension to it. Many older people are uncomfortable with being addressed by their first names by people in the health service. And I find myself resenting being addressed by my first name by gardai - I think that's a situation that requires fairly strict formality. But then most guards wouldn't recognise manners and decorum if you labelled them in phonetic spelling.

One interesting one - friends of ours are addressed by their first names by their kids. Anyone here do that? I kinda like the idea, I think.