Need British Assist, plz

[susandennis]

So, I'm watching your run of the mill contemporary British police procedural (Blue Murder). A new member of the team is introduced and when given her instructions, she replies to the leader 'M'am' but the leader corrects her 'Boss'. Everybody in the series always calls her Boss. (She's a DCI)

In the US, subordinates would say 'Yes, M'am' and, I've come to understand that the British equivalent skips the yes part and just goes to M'am

I kind of thought, like here, M'am and Sir were generic terms of respect for all people of a higher rank.

But, clearly, I'm missing a nuance. What's the difference between M'am and Boss?

Comments

[halfmoon_mollie1]

oooh, I'll be interestd in that answer!

[susandennis]

❤️

[alefy]

Just speculating, but could it be that Boss is not 'gender specific' where M'am can be?

I'd have preferred 'Sir' over 'Boss' though, if I had to choose?

[susandennis]

i thought about this but in other shows the female lead is called Sir. but still, i'll bet you are right.

[thestainlesssteelrat]

I've not seen the show but I suspect it will just be a convention/tradition for that particular department. In a sense "boss" has a greater emphasis on them being in charge, rather than just a term of respect. It would also suggest they're more of a team, to me at least.

[msconduct]

Boss is for your direct leader, and Ma'am is for your superiors further up the latter. Boss is a friendlier term and denotes respect and willingness to be led by that person. It would be used by members of a team, but not further up the ladder, say from a deputy commissioner to a commissioner - they would use Ma'am.

[waitingman]

I think 3 of the above comments nail it... Boss is gender neutral & defers to a leader regardless of sex. It's also a less formal term of respect, but respectful nonetheless. I'd much rather work for a Boss than a Ma'am or a Sir

[timbearuk]

Yup, less formal and not gender specific. Also reinforces "I'm in charge".

[rsc]

My understanding is that while "Sir" and "Ma'am" are the correct formal terms for a superior officer, they are often replaced – in past decades largely by "Guv" (or "Gov", short for "Governor" and also used to refer to or address one's father in British working-class families). "Sir" and "Ma'am" are also used to address the sovereign (Kind or Queen, depending) as a shorter and less stiff alternative to "Your Majesty".

Years ago, on an episode of Prime Suspect, a new member of the team commanded by Jane Tennant (played superbly by Helen Mirren) addressed her as "Ma'am", to which she replied, somewhat irritably, "Don't call me Ma'am, I'm not the bloody Queen." (The regulars all called her "Gov".) This was especially delicious because it aired while US theaters were showing the movie The Queen, with Mirren in the title role.

[loganberrybunny]

"Sir" and "Ma'am" are also used to address the sovereign

British person here with a somewhat tedious answer to this bit. As far as the Queen goes, on first speaking to her, you call her Your Majesty. On subsequent occasions (in the same conversation), you call her "Ma'am" -- but pronounced to rhyme with "ham", not with "calm". It would be a faux pas to call her "Ma'am" the first time.

[rsc]

Thanks for the clarification.

[loganberrybunny]

I don't know the series so there may be lots of specific context, and as other commenters state every team will be subtly different, but in a modern show I suspect part of it may be the modern desire for things to be gender-neutral where possible. "Boss" can be that, "ma'am" can't.

Also, "Guv" is mostly, though not exclusively, a London thing. Also also, apparently in London sergeants can be "Skipper" instead of "Sarge", though that doesn't seem to be used on TV, probably because everyone understands "Sarge".

[susandennis]

Interesting about the London thing. I'm going to have to now pay way closer attention.

[loganberrybunny]

There's a rather good, and fairly long, Quora thread here on this specific issue. Including contributions from a number of actual officers, who obviously know this stuff better than I do!

[susandennis]

That is a GREAT thread! thank you!!