Do you think it would be okay to refer to a stranger older than you as “uncle” or “aunty”?

30 comments

1. I know it’s common in other cultures, but it’s not in ours, or many others.

2. No. You just call them sir or ma’am

3. Never said uncle or aunty. I do say sir or ma’am.

4. No, this is very uncommon in America and would be viewed very strangely by anyone not from your culture.

5. Not in my culture, but some cultures

   In my family, there are a number of people I refer to as “aunt” or “uncle” even thought they are not actually the siblings of my mother or father. It’s just a familiar way to refer to someone who is close family, but dose not exactly fall into predetermined categories. But I would never refer to others with those titles.

6. Yes, that would be strange. They are only “aunt” or “uncle” if they are family. If not by blood then the kind of extremely close family friend that is functionally the same. It is a term of specific and very close platonic intimacy.

7. That’s not common in our culture.

8. The only way that’s not going to be weird is if it’s the person’s nickname of sorts within the neighborhood

   But a total stranger? Yeah, weird and you should probably refrain from doing that in the US

   “Uncle”, when it’s not your actual uncle, has creepy connotations.. or insults like “Uncle Tom”

9. It is not common in the US to call strangers by family relationship words. If a younger stranger called me aunty I would be confused or taken aback.

   Some groups here do refer to each other as brothers or sisters but it is not widespread. Calling a random person grandpa is a bit of an insult.

10. Southeast Asian? Yeah it’s all over. In more mainstream or European situations it’s much more informal, some people might be called aunts or uncles when they’re close to the parents and the kids but otherwise it isn’t used.

11. I am aware it’s a thing in some places but this is not an aspect of American culture. If I heard someone do it without an accent I would be surprised.

    In the US a kid might call an unrelated adult aunt or uncle, but it would be limited to close family friends that are going to play a big part in their life, something like that. My kids call my godbrother and his wife uncle and aunt, for example.

12. This isn’t done in the American culture *per se*. The closest most Americans not of Asian or African descent get is using “uncle” or “aunt” for friends of their parents. People you don’t know are “sir” or “ma’am”.

13. I mean it would be okay but it’s not common here. Usually you just say sir or ma’am

14. it’s not common, at least around where I live. I don’t know that I’d describe it in terms of ok or not ok, but someone’s first thought might be that you’re mistaking them for a relative of yours. if you push the issue they’d probably decide that you’re weird

15. That would be weird, but not offensive. More like quirky.

16. Not someone you don’t know, no.

    I do have some “aunts” and “uncles” who are family friends of my parents and it’s kind of an honorary nickname.

    But the “auntie” thing is specific to south Asian culture.

17. I don’t call anyone “aunt” or “uncle” even if they’re my actual biological aunts and uncles. I just call them by their first names.

    It’s normal to hear people from certain cultures use these terms for older people *within that same culture*, but it would be weird to call someone else in the US who’s a stranger aunty or uncle, in my opinion.

18. not common at all

19. Please don’t do that lol or you’ll get weird looks. Just sir ma’am would do.

20. That’s no a thing here.

21. No. Familiar, non-related people sometimes; strangers never.

22. This is uncommon in white culture, but more common in some black, Indian, and Asian cultures.

23. No, you can’t call strangers that here.

24. Nope. That would not be ok.

25. In Hawaii, older Hawaiian men are referred to as uncles. It is like a friendlier “mister”.

26. The only place in the US that I can think of where that would be acceptable is in Hawaii.

27. In Hawaii yes to some degree

28. I think Hawaiians do that.

29. Totally normal in Hawaii, but not common in the rest of the US.

30. I think they do this in Hawaii?