Where did the phrase, ” Don’t call me Sir, I work for a living.” originate from?

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I’ve heard this saying before and never put too much thought into until someone just asked me.

This actually came from the first Army in history when the first time in history a Private called a Sergeant Sir.

SFC
US Army
Retired

And don’t call me Sir.

Because we NCOs normally do the “heavy lifting” in the military and officers traditionally didn’t. It is a humorous saying and is a jab at staff officers and higher-ups. You can get called “Sir” anywhere, even in the drive-through at McDonalds, but you will only get called “Sergeant” due to being an NCO.

FYI
There are NCOs who don’t work hardly for shyt either from what I’ve seen at certain levels lol.

Source(s): US Army SFC, 21 year vet

GENERAL

Faster than a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a locomotive.
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
Walks on water.
Lunches with God, but must pick up the tab.

COLONEL

Almost as fast as a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a shunting engine on a steep incline.
Leaps short buildings with a single bound.
Walks on water if sea is calm.
Talks to God.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL

Faster than an energetically thrown rock.
Almost as powerful as a speeding bullet.
Leaps short buildings with a running start in favourable winds.
Walks on water of indoor swimming pools if lifeguard is present.
May be granted audience with God if special request is approved at least three working days in advance.

MAJOR

Can fire a speeding bullet with tolerable accuracy.
Loses tug of war against anything mechanical.
Makes impressively high marks when trying to leap tall buildings.
Swims well.
Is occasionally addressed by God, in passing.

CAPTAIN

Can sometimes handle firearm without shooting self.
Is run over by trains.
Barely clears outhouse.
Dog paddles.
Mumbles to self.

LIEUTENANT

Is dangerous to self and comrades if armed and unsupervised.
Recognizes trains two out of three times.
Runs into tall buildings.
Can stay afloat if properly instructed on use of life jacket and water wings.
Talks to walls.

Sergeant Major is god.

Don’t ever call me SIR… I work for a living.

It is something a SNCO or NCO would say if they were called sir (outside of a recruit in boot camp calling them it) Staff non-commisioned officers and Non Commisioned officers are refered to by their rank not sir

It is a knock at the officers who are called sir, basically saying officers don’t do much and it is the SNCO’s and NCO’s who run the military.

They are feigning offense at being lumped in with an officer

Source(s): USMC disabled Vet

Answer 6

Scared new recruits in the military (with the exception of the Marines because they do call their Drills sir) will reflexively call their Drill Sgt’s SIR in basic training, and they are trying to teach them NOT to call them sir, as that title is reserved for officers, so they use that phrase.

Answer 7

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It means someone being a hypocrite, like the pot is calling the kettle black, but it is black too. Why it uses black as an insult I don’t know, but it sounds racist to me.

it’s originate from the swine flu..

I made it up. Its true.

What our team says

Where did the phrase, ” Don’t call me Sir, I work for a living.” originate from?

This phrase is most commonly associated with British comedian Sir John Cleese, who popularized it in his 1975 film A Fish Called Wanda. However, the phrase is much older than that and has been used in a variety of contexts. In this article, we’ll explore where the phrase came from and how it has been used over the years.

Sir is an honorific and is not typically used to address someone in the workplace

The phrase “Don’t call me Sir, I work for a living.” is likely derived from the British Commonwealth where titles such as “Sir” were given to senior government officials. It is often used informally among colleagues to show respect.

The phrase likely originated from the days when people would be called to attend court or other formal events and would be addressed as Sir or Lady rather than by their given name

The phrase, “Don’t call me Sir, I work for a living.” likely originated from the days when people would be called to attend court or other formal events and would be addressed as Sir or Lady rather than by their given name. This way of addressing people was likely more polite and less intrusive than simply calling them by their given name. Over time, the phrase became shortened to its current form, and is now used as a way of avoiding being called by their given name altogether.

Today, it is more common to address someone by their given name in the workplace, with Sir reserved for informal settings

The phrase, “Don’t call me Sir, I work for a living.” is a remnant of an era when employees were addressed as Mr. or Mrs., and referred to by their titles in the workplace. The phrase originated in the early 1900s, when many employees were working in manual labor jobs and didn’t have time to be addressed by their given name. The use of titles allowed them to maintain a sense of hierarchy and authority. Today, it is more common to address someone by their given name in the workplace, with Sir reserved for informal settings.

The phrase may also derive from the days when people would be called to serve in

the British military and would be addressed as “sir” by their superiors.

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