When I was about 7, I had my hair cut short for the first time. By choice, so nothing traumatic about that. But not long afterwards I went into a shop to buy sweets (or whatever it is that 7-year-old me spent my pittance of pocket money on), and the woman at the till said something along the lines of...
"What can I do for you
my boy."
I was mortified!!!
And even now - and let me stress that I am in no way mannish - whenever someone say's "can I help you, ma'am" a very small part of my brain goes 'Yes'!
Not necessarily helpful, but hey, it's an anecdote.
