Mammy, ma, mam, mom, mommy, mum, mummy?

Kernel32

So heres a question for yaz...

When I was a lad, not too long ago, I 29 now, I would call my mother mammy. Now I usually use ma(I am a country boy) or mam. When I look at postings on boards I frequently see the american mom. I live in the US now and my wife is american but my son calls her mammy. It was something he picked up because we spent 6 months or so in Ireland last year. Down the road he will probably change it to mommy to fit in. Has mom and mommy taken over in Ireland from mammy? Have we seen the end of the Irish mammy to be replaced with the american mommy, say it isn't so! What about mum and mummy? I heard that a lot last year in Ireland. Growing up it always sounded kind of posh to me to use mum but it seems fairly common place now.

climaxer

Kernel32 wrote:

So heres a question for yaz...

When I was a lad, not too long ago, I 29 now, I would call my mother mammy. Now I usually use ma(I am a country boy) or mam. When I look at postings on boards I frequently see the american mom. I live in the US now and my wife is american but my son calls her mammy. It was something he picked up because we spent 6 months or so in Ireland last year. Down the road he will probably change it to mommy to fit in. Has mom and mommy taken over in Ireland from mammy? Have we seen the end of the Irish mammy to be replaced with the american mommy, say it isn't so! What about mum and mummy? I heard that a lot last year in Ireland. Growing up it always sounded kind of posh to me to use mum but it seems fairly common place now.

I noticed that too - I can see a lot of Americanisations coming into Ireland - nothing against Americans but it does annoy me. I'm 29 to and my Mam is Mam - Mammy when I was younger. My kids call me Mam/Mammy too. But my oldest daughter is starting to get a lot of stuff from tv programmes like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Two of a Kind etc. and says things like candy, trick or treat, prom, cafeteria :eek: . I remember when I was young we went to the pictures and watched a film - now they are going to the cinema to watch a movie.

I think Mum and Mummy are more of a English thing and Mom and Mommy an American thing.

RuggieBear

I call my mother Mam.....

magpie

"De Mammy". Shudder.

Jim

I say a very Irish Mam.
I prefer Mother though.

ravenhead

I'm 26 & I still call my mother mam ... I don't think that will ever change

Roar

my little brother is five and he calls me mam "mam", because his older brother and sisters do i suppose. and i've always said "mam"

uberwolf

it abbreviated from mummy to mum when I was around 11 or so. My Dad pulled me up on it and said it was disrespectful, Mum had obviuosly noticed and cared...

she's stilll mum, or if I want to annoy her 'the aul one'.

24 btw

Swarfboy

Me Ma... or sometimes Mammy as i used to as a child... I usually use this when I want to say something heartfelt to her...
A lot of Americanisms coming over here now and I heard the worst one ever..
A manager in work recently was inquiring about a collegues ability to take on a new project and asked of my boss.. " Does he have the bandwidth for the task".... WTF like.
Oh yeah and he's from Cork---- Langer

Ba_barbaraAnne

My mother was English and we called her Mum or Mummy. My kids call me whatever they feel like! Usually Mum when they want me for something. :-)

tribble

I call mine Anne.
Always have, that's what my father calls her.

embee

My mother would box me around the chops if I ever called her "Mum" or "Mummy". She doesn't mind Ma, Mam, Mammy, Mom or (at a stretch) Mommy. I usually call her Mammy. Even though I am 23. My sister calls her Mammy too, but my brother calls her Mam.

Our father is called Daddy. Universally.

Miner

I'm 30 and call her mam or mammy. My ds call me the same. The poor child doesn't even know my first name and I'm glad he doesn't call me by it. My younger niece and nephew call me mammy also coz its all they hear my ds use!!!

magpie

My mother would box me around the chops if I ever called her "Mum" or "Mummy".

Why?

I was recently told by someone that usage of the words mum or mummy was a betrayal of his family's working class roots (which are buried pretty deep at this stage).

What's with the inverted snobbery on this issue?

embee

magpie wrote:

Why?

I was recently told by someone that usage of the words mum or mummy was a betrayal of his family's working class roots (which are buried pretty deep at this stage).

What's with the inverted snobbery on this issue?

It isn't snobbery. Where I am from, no one calls their Mother "Mum" or "Mummy". She hates the word as well, and it has nothing to do with its origins. She just doesn't like it.

Jim

Yea, well, Ardee South. Full of hicks.

Hagar

Ma and Da. Pure and simple and that's what my kids call me and herself. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Up the Liberties

magpie

Up the Liberties

That sounds like something that might happen in prison.

She hates the word as well, and it has nothing to do with its origins

Why? this makes no sense to me. She likes Mam, but not Mum. Does she say potato and you say potahto?

cajun_tiger

mammy mam or her name (to pee her off) my daughter uses mammy as well ore my real name when i'm in trouble.... she 4 and the boss of the house
i do tend to type mum though simply coz if the key board i'm on and i use one hand when in work so i can work with the other but mum is easier to tyoe(split key board)

wiw4

im a "mam" man.

Victor

I [strike]call my[/strike] refer to my mother as "mum", but I can'd remember the last time I addressed her directly in any fashion.

My sister threatened to batter me the next time I used the word "mam" when referring to her in the company of my nieces, the youngest of which once came out with "MaaaAAA!!!"

Apparently "m" words are actually difficult for very young babies to enunciate and the sister's au-pair said the Finnish word (whatever it is, I can't rememember) was much easier.

radiospan

I say "Mam".

Mam, Dad, Gran and Granda.

Dummy

We use Mammy in our house. I call my own mother Mammy or Mam.

Rb

I say Mom...don't see anything wrong with it either.

gonker

When my mam was alive (rip) I called her mam or mammy when I was looking for something...same way I call my dad daddy when I am looking for something. My two call me mammy or mam definitely not ma

holly_johnson

I always called my mammy or ma, depending on the mood.
I have a 3 year old and she is always calling me mom (must be from the telly) I spend most of my time correcting her that it's mammy.
My husband isnt much better (his mother is English) and he always calls her mum, but in front of my daughter he calls me mummy.
ARRRGH!
Some day I will sort it for good, I just won't respond to anything other than mammy, and when the hunger sets in, we'll see who wins!

Gilgamesh

I'm on first name terms with my parents, but if I am talking to someone else, I say 'my mum'

Fantasy

I call my mam "mam" although im starting to notice a lot of people my age now saying "mom" or "mum" and the odd time when im talking to my mam one of these words will slip out ... it's really rather annoying :mad:

neuro-praxis

My mammy is Mammy. And my daddy is Daddy. I'm 22. Can't see that changing any time soon.

Periodically, it's Ma and Da.

Shrimp

mom dad

gubby

moving on to the next generation.. when my two grandchildren were born their respective mothers asked me what I would like to be called!!! I dont like any of the granny, nana, grandma etc.. so I was stumped!! but now the oldest one who lives here with us calles me nan.. which i am kinda getting used to and the other guy who is only 1 and a half.. calles me nana... I would prefer, I think if they just called me gubby.. but their mothers were shocked. btw.. my children call me mam.. except my oldest son calles me mud.
he loves me really!!!