Research question, mom mum or mother?

[zetina]

I don't think "mum" is used in the States but if it is, it's deff accompanied by its particular pronunciation. It sounds somehow sweeter to me, tbh, haha

I KNOW THE WORD BIDDY!! But I can't remember where I heard it.

[grovylegirl]

no one in the states really calls their mom, mum, I know one girl who does but it's only b/c she's British. I've never heard of the term Biddy. Also some people call their moms, Mama, and in the south some people say Ma. I hope this helped.

[KSlinger]

Similar situation, I'm English but the accents in my comic are mostly American. Reckon 'ma' and 'mother' are what I'll be using because I've heard both kinds of people use it, plus using 'mum' or 'mom' might prompt readers to look into their placement a little too deeply, like using it as an indication of where certain characters are from.

[Wishjacked]

From Alabama. I call mine 'Mother', and most adults I know call their mothers 'Mother' as well. Younger people and children typically call her Mom or Mommy. 'Mama' is also pretty common among all ages. In the states around AL (Florida and Georgia are the ones I've lived in) I think it tends to be about evenly Mother and Mom.

I've also lived in California (everyone called their mothers Mom) and Missouri/Illinois areas (again, lots of Moms). In those states "Mother" was only reserved for when you're pissed off with her and/or don't have a close relationship with her. In Tennessee/Arkansas there were tons of Moms but no Mothers. I think that's everywhere I've lived long enough to notice lol.

The only person I've ever known who called their mother Mum was an Anglophile from Ecuador, so I don't think that's really very common in the States. I could be wrong.

And I have absolutely no idea what a Biddy is.

[mariusthered]

very helpful thank you

[Thesleepypencil]

I'm from Canada so i don't know if it counts.

But i call my mom, mum when i'm quick chatting with her. When the conversation is serious then is switches to Mom (as well i always spell mom as mom never mum)

But as soon as i aam sarcastic or goofing of j use mother. (Or sometimes mommy but mostly mother)

Mom would be the safest word to use

[mariusthered]

thanks for the help, i do like to keep notes on this stuff and keep things correct sounding. that's what i love about these forum boards thay can be most useful for sharing this sort of information.

for the people who don't know. Biddy is a term used in England (hear and there) and come from "Old Biddy" it's a not very respectful way of addressing ones mother and as I said in the into if i had done so I would have been in huge bother.

[Kura]

Mum, mummy, Ma, Mae before going to school.

Mom, mommy and mother after going to school and associating that with the norm.

Mumz, Momz, Mamz, Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaez (in the longest most whiny tone you can imagine) as an adult.

Honestly not sure how the adding the 'z' thing at the end happened but it did.

Outside my household everyone seems to use mom the most often (though I have heard the others used as well)

(Canadaland here, but both my parents are immigrants from different countries Mum is more normal for my mom's side and mae is more normal for my dad's side.)

[shazzbaa]

I'm American, from North Carolina, and I grew up using "Mommy." I still called her "Mommy" when I got older but started saying "my mom" to others, because "Mommy" started to feel childish. People just calling their mother "Mom" is very normal here. I also have friends from New York who use "Ma" casually, but still say "my mom" when talking to others.

I'm 29 and I don't know anyone my age who says "Mother," and I've never heard anyone here actually use "Mum." My brother and I eventually started calling our mom "Mumsy" at one point but that was more of a cute nickname and very much unique to my family. xD

My mom and dad both grew up calling their parents "Mother" and "Father." They both thought it felt too formal, which is part of why we were raised saying "Mommy" and "Daddy" rather than just "mom" and "dad."

[Doubtcent]

The US is filled with different accents, different cultures and different languages strewn about. Either of the three happen as far as I've heard. And I've used all three myself.

[Jabbage]

Pleased to hear someone else using Mummy/Daddy into adulthood, I like calling my parents that even if it's a bit unconventional. I'll call them "My Mum" and "My Dad" to other people.

[mariusthered]

"Mumsy"

my oldest brother calls my mum this lol

thanks for the help

[MichelleAntisocial]

Hey, I'm from the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia area of the US and I have never heard anyone call their Mother "Mum" (with the exception of my English friends, of course. The most common word for us to use would definitely be Mom.. I only use mother when I'm talking about my mom in a formal setting/conversation.. like if someone was to ask me about her during an interview. I personally have always called my mom, "mommy", but refer to her as "Mom" when I talk about her to other people.. so very similar to what @shazzbaa was saying.

The thing about using "mother" when someone is annoyed is understandable and possible, depending on the character, but not everyone does that. Typically I see mother used almost exclusively in movies/stories by upper class waspy white families to make the point that the children are comically distant from their parents, since mother and father are typically seen as very formal.

Ma, is ok too, but yes, it's more of a regional thing.. Also, I've never heard anyone use "biddy".

[60Six]

The only American I know of that uses "mum" pretty much just uses it for the sake of being quirky. Pretty much all other "mum" users I know are Australian or British.
As for mother, I know some people who use "mother" when referring to their moms as "my mother" (Like "My mother is picking me up"). But I rarely run across someone who just uses "mother" when addressing their mom.
I dunno... :'D Am I the only one who finds it kind of Norman Bates-ish to refer to your mom as "Mother?" At least, that's where my mind always goes when I hear it, with the exception of maybe an annoyed "Mother!" if you're snapping at her. But if it's just "How are you, Mother?" my mind instantly just goes to characters like Norman Bates...

Oh, however, my girlfriend refers to her mom as "My momma" a lot. I'm not sure if that's sort of a southern thing or not, though. She also says "my daddy." But pretty much only when talking about them. She just uses "mom" and "dad" when actually talking to them as far as I know.

[mariusthered]

my mind instantly just goes to characters like Norman Bates...

are you suggesting my comic is full of crazy people?......yer dont answer that. lol

[SethJH]

I live in Ohio (the eastern mid-west) and almost always use "mom". Even in normal conversation with others, for example, I'll say "sorry I can't work late, I gotta take my brothers to my mom's house". The only time I would use the word Mother is in a professional/formal context, such as filling out paperwork. From what I've observed of other Central Ohioans, 'mom' is the typically used word.

On an interesting side note, I call grandparents "grandma and grandpa"... when we were little, we called him "papaw".

[60Six]

Maybe you should go for "mother" in that case. : D

[joannekwan]

Yep, "Mom" is what I use.

"Mother" just seems so...proper to me. So I reserve that for the past, like up to the year 1970, I'll have my character use "mother"
I might use "mother" when referring to my mom when talking with another person, but I'd never address her as such.

To me, "Mum" is for Brits, or people speaking British english (like ones from Hong Kong).

[VermillionWorks]

I'm from the States (also from Ohio, haha) and I've never heard anyone use "Mum". When I was young I called my mother "Mommy" and switched to "Mom" as I got older. As others have said sometimes "Ma" (especially if they're southern?) or "Mother" is used....

Though I agree that calling your mom "Mother" is strange to me and I really only hear it used if the person is getting snippy, or maybe joking around "Mother, what the hell? XD" I mean, I'm sure people in the States call their mom that, though I don't personally hear it often.

Am I the only one who finds it kind of Norman Bates-ish to refer to your mom as "Mother?" At least, that's where my mind always goes when I hear it, with the exception of maybe an annoyed "Mother!" if you're snapping at her. But if it's just "How are you, Mother?" my mind instantly just goes to characters like Norman Bates...

No offense to anyone who uses "Mother" but I kind of feel the same way...that or it comes off to me like the person is being extremely condescending towards their parent, even if they're not really. XP "Oh Mother, stay out of my business."
This all counts for "Father" too.

[maelstrom51210]

There's nothing I can say about the American terms for someone's female parental unit that hasn't been said already. I-/

I will say that the only time I've heard the word "biddy" is when one of my grandparents said it, or in reference to old horror films about killer old ladies.