Question 4 U Luvly Americans

  • Thread starter Thread starter Miri
  • Start date Start date
  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
M

Miri

Guest
I live in the UK and often on American TV programmes I notice people address each other by their
surname. i.e Jones, Hobbs, Belton etc.

I wondered if this was a wrong TV portrayal, or if Americans do refer to each other by their
surnames especially in the work place. Or does it just depend on where you work?

Just curious :)
 
Usually dramas like police, detective, hospital shows. But also some of the older shows like Little House on the prairy and Waltons
 
Well a lot of times on the police shows and dramas like that they will address the person by their surname. I think they do in real life too. Only in positions like that though. Like you would call your doctor Dr. Jones rather Dr. John. I think the same can be said for police officers too. I don't really know about Little House on the Praire and The Waltons cause I don't watch those. I prefer old shows like Andy Griffith, Bewitched, Bonanza, and The Munsters. (which you may or may not have heard of...I recommend them though cause they are the comedies if you like comedy stuff) Anyways, sorry to talk about me, but back to the topic. Of the different jobs my parents have had not once have I ever heard them address a superior or coworker by their last name so like I said it probably depends upon the position held. It also probably depends on the person too. Some might prefer to be called by their surname or if you have two Johns with different surnames call one John and the other by their surname.

Sorry for the long reply....hope I helped.
 
news shows music shows.
Big Brother,Dancing With the Stars,Duets,The Voice.
Date lime 20/20 NightLine,What Would You Do 60 Minutes.
 
Miri said:
I live in the UK and often on American TV programmes I notice people address each other by their
surname. i.e Jones, Hobbs, Belton etc.

I wondered if this was a wrong TV portrayal, or if Americans do refer to each other by their
surnames especially in the work place. Or does it just depend on where you work?

Just curious :)
Click to expand...

We usually use people's first names.
 
it all depends on where you work at and what part of the country your in exsample the south is more formal as is most of the mid-west the west is not and some but all of the north east is informal as well
 
OFM said:
it all depends on where you work at and what part of the country your in exsample the south is more formal as is most of the mid-west the west is not and some but all of the north east is informal as well
Click to expand...

I live in the midwest and we use first names pretty much all the time.
 
SOMETIMES IN PENNSYLVANNIA WE ALL GO BY FIRST NAMES BY SOME HAVE THAT WESTERN ACCENT AND NAMES OR NICKNAMES
 
Hi thanks folks, i suppose it will be the same for most countries.

At my very first job from leaving school, the Managing Director was called Mr... etc but everyone else got called by their first name.

I have had a few jobs since then where everyone called each other by their first name. Most have been in the private/commercial sector, although my current job is a civil servent working for a Government Dpt (well someone's got to do it!) Even the very top bosses are called by their first name in my current job.

But I suppose there will be certain professions where surnames are used.
 
Yeah, on the average Americans will use first names, but definately in professions like police and military oriented jobs, in real life, they tend to use last names, or surnames. Hospitals not so much, except maybe with doctors. And dramas, i'm guessing maybe like law shows, so perhaps in legal settings it may be more common as well to use last names.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back