According to Wiktionary:
Noun
sir or Sir (plural sirs)
- A man of a higher rank or position.
- An address to a military superior.
Yes sir.- An address to any male, especially if his name or proper address is unknown.
Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where the nearest bookstore is?
I assume you'd not use this for young boys for example, and certainly not for girls or women. In what circumstances are sir the right one to use, and are there alternatives when it's not?
Best Answer
The forms of address, "sir" and "ma'am," are still very much alive and well in American English usage. "Miss" is the correct substitute for women who are younger and/or likely to be unmarried. There is nothing archaic about them. As noted above, they are used when situations require a bit more formality: addressing strangers; customers in a retail environment; police officers; and social and workplace superiors in more formal settings, though not for long after acquaintance is established. Especially in southern parts of the US, and in rural parts of the East and Midwest, I am certain from long experience that they are very much in common use.
It should not be used to address boys or girls. "Miss," is very proper for girls in these situations, though for boys, "master" is certainly archaic. Boys might be addressed as "sir," once they are old enough to wish to be thought of as men. I wouldn't hesitate to address in that way, say, a nineteen year old. Younger boys might be addressed less formerly as a matter of course, "kid," (paradoxically) "man," "dude," and so on. It should also be noted that in the US, the term "boy" has a racial history and should not be used as a form of address except with intimates, such as one's son or nephew - certainly not with strangers and never with members of racial minorities by Caucasians.