Alexander addressing Worf as "Sir"

Good evening.

I'm curious...why did Alexander call his father "Sir"? Are we to gather that Worf insisted on this practice and, if so, from where did it originate: his human upbringing, Starfleet training, a bit of both or something else altogether? If not, was it a self-taught formality (perhaps born out of genuine but poorly expressed respect)?

 

I watch Dallas a lot, and the Ewing sons often call their father “sir” as well, especially when he tells them to do something or makes a decision. It’s a thing for some families I guess. However, I doubt Worf’s adoptive parents made him call his father “sir”. They don’t struck me as the type for that.

 

Could also be due to Worf overly clinging to some old Klingon tradition of addressing your parents with respect that just happens to translate to 'Sir'. It wouldn't be the first instance of Worf insisting on some traditions that even 'klingon' Klingons don't really seem to bother with anymore.

 

I think it's more a case of the writers trying to fabricate a dynamic between the two. Worf has his own expectations of what Alexander should be and how he should act and Alexander is coming from a completely different viewpoint. Using "sir" seems to me to set that up to a degree. It sets a tone from which further things can develop. Worf undoubtedly likes being called "sir". Not sure that Alexander is too thrilled about that.

 

I think that Worf just likes to be addressed formally. I did note that Alexander calls him "Father", rather than a more typical term of endearment ("Dad" or "Pop" or "Daddy"). I've observed that Worf is often somewhat formal in how he addresses others.

 

I know it's fiction but I see it from time to time in US shows. The stereotype seems to be that a dad in the military will be strict and his children will call him 'Sir". This crops up in For All Mankind as well.

I think it was a shorthand for the dynamic between them. Alexander is a stormy character but he does look up to Worf. He respects him. Even though he's a pretty dour, relentlessly grim parent figure...

 

Indeed, Mr. Rozhenko specifically told O'Brien not to call him "sir."

 

There's a lot about Worf to like and respect. His parental skills are not on the list.

 

I called my dad "sir" quite often. Still do. He never insisted upon it, or even mentioned it. I did it out of respect all on my own.

 

Wasn’t that normal a few decades ago? Back when fathers were expected to be emotionless authority figures.

 

It was more common in certain places. In the South, where I grew up, it was pretty typical.

 

Only in America. In other parts of the Western World it wasn't common or even heard of.
I always found it incredibly cold sounding (and kinda militaristic) when I heard it in American movies or shows.

In the 19th century it was common for German children to address parents with formal pronouns (Sie, Ihr as opposed to Du) but that's looooong over.

 

Also, how often do aliens refer to their fathers as "Dad"? The only examples I can think of are half-human hybrids (such as B'Elanna).

 

I find calling anyone "Sir" weird and wouldn't do it. I think the last time I used it was as a schoolchild.

I suppose if I met a genuine knight of the realm, maybe, but...

 

Alexander grew up without Worf around, so I suppose the use of "sir" would not be out of the ordinary. If Worf had been there from the get-go, Alexander would have been used to him, and may not have felt the need to be so formal.

So when Alexander is just getting to know his father, it sorta makes sense he'd call him "sir".

And it should be noted that 'normal' Klingons are usually not like that. In ST VI, for example, Azetbur calls Gorkon "vavoy", which means "daddy" (vav = father; oy = a term of endearment)

 

If you were in the military, it would be normal to you. Or from the deep South.

 

He outranked him

 

How do you address an adult male whose name you don't know? "Hey, you"?

 

The same way I address an adult female whose name I don't know.

You can say hello, give them your name and they usually reciprocate. You can say "Excuse me" to get their attention, I'm sure there's many other options - I've never even thought about it before, and I'm in my late 50's.

Is this a geographical / cultural difference ? I gather it's commonly used in the U.S.

 

I call people "Sir" if I don't know their name. Never struck me as completely unusual, though certainly not everyone utilizes it.