When I use a website with a large numbers of users for whom English is not their first language (specifically, fiverr.com), I often get addressed as "Sir", even though I am a woman. How come?
My hypotheses are:
- Learners of English in some countries are being explicitly taught that "Sir" is appropriate for individuals of any sex (kind of like default masculine pronouns).
- Honorifics in other languages are gender neutral, so they assume the same is true of English.
- They are simply incorrectly assuming I am male.
This is different from the question https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/121727/can-sir-be-used-to-address-female-officers, which refers to the military. I am a civilian.