the questions of our times: formality and vampires

[rm]

This, thanks to a discussion started by weirdquark. Please do visit the comments where you will learn many things including the many ways formality is structured in different languages (something my questions did not fully take into account, and I apologize for that), werewolf pack dynamics considerations, and whether there are vampires in France.

[Poll #1601631]

Comments

[idiomagic.livejournal.com]

This is pretty straightforward for me, as I'm a Southern girl.

When in doubt of another person's age or station, always err on the side of formality. Substitute "creature", I suppose, for "person".

Of course, if I were tending bar or waiting tables at the time I encountered said creature, it would be very different. There would be no actual introduction, so I would fall back on the Southern default of calling them "Sugar" or "Honey" or "Boo". The latter, of course, I would omit when addressing a ghost.

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

The latter, of course, I would omit when addressing a ghost.

LMAO! +1000000.

[idiomagic.livejournal.com]

Of course, if the supernatural entity in question tips poorly, I would go for the formality.

There's nothing more dangerous than a female Southern bartender who has been stiffed on a tip...best run for the hills at that point, undead horror or no. (This is doubly true if said bartender utters the phrase "Why, bless your heart!")*


*For the benefit of those not familiar with Southern idiom, "Bless your heart!" is Southern for "Fuck you!"

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

Not always, I've heard the "bless heart" thing in another way.


Or maybe it's just a Texan thing? The way I've heard "Bless (pronoun) heart!" phrase; You can say anything bad about someone provided you say "Bless their heart." For example, "She's so fat, bless her heart." Or "He's so dopey, bless his heart."