Google returns discussions on this topic since early 2010, but we continue to use Sir/Ma'am and it feels sexist and may offend someone that is considered transgender or asexual. Can we please decide on a replacement that is non-gender specific? Why does the military continue to use this as a stan...

The use of the term sir as a form of address for men, especially those of higher rank or status, is discussed in several prior questions including this one. They all indicate that the term is reserved to males, and that there are a number of related terms for females, such as ma'am. A review of ...

When is it appropriate to use the terms Dear Sir or Madam and To whom it may concern? The rules I was taught state that Dear Sir or Madam should be used when you're writing a letter to a person about something that person has direct involvement in (e.g. returning a defective product to a custome...

What that implies to me is that in the fictional world in question, the most important thing to know about someone you otherwise don't know is that they are subject to the same government as you. It implies a preoccupation with the state which we in this reality don't quite have. For example, wh...