Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Calling someone "Boss"

Prison term: Boss= Stupid Son of B***h, backwards.

Not to be confused with "...like a boss."

Example:

"He told that guy off like a boss."

Meaning: to do something really well.

i've never heard anyone call someone "boss" without it being condescending. Like calling someone chief, slick, pal, tough guy.

I have also heard boss used where I work, and it always came through in their way of saying it that they were trying to show that they were really in charge, not the boss.

Must be a regional thing...

People use Boss, Chief here all the time. Nobody thinks anything of it.

Like when you see somebody at the gas station and you can't remember their name, but they remember yours. A simple "Hey Chief,..how's it going" will get you out of trouble until you can remember who they are.

Think Bugs Bunny, "What's Up Doc?" He was never talking to a Doc, just another term for "dude".

Used the term Boss for the boss for years, even the Sheriff was boss, nothing demeaning just recognition he was the Boss.

I've got friends that call me boss to this day. I was their supervisor 10-15 years ago.

Dont mean nothing!

I have had a bunch of people that I worked with use the term "Boss" to me. Mostly when they wanted me to make a decision that they weren't comfortable with and knew I was going to catch the grief anyway, if there was a screw up. I never thought anything about it. Course if they thought I was doing something stupid they would just tell me. It worked pretty well that way.

I guess when I have heard "Boss" or "Chief" used it was just an acknowledgement that the other person had more authority to make a decision. Course I've never worked in a prison either. My guess would be that a lot depends on what kind of environment you work in.

In the Army we had section chiefs, all NCO�s, and they were always addressed as �Chief�. I don�t think I ever heard one addressed as Sergeant so and so, even the battalion commander would call them Chief.

When my father, who was self employed, wanted to defer a decision he would always say he had to ask the Boss, i.e. my mom.

I work on the water, calling someone "captain" or as it's pronounces cap-N is common.

Boss... Chief... meh. JV level annoyance.

"Dude" I'm less fond of.

"Guy", in the right setting, could provoke some anger.

Close to the worst, imo, is Bro.

By far and away the worst... "bra" instead of "bro". 100% correlation between saying "Bra" and being an A hole in my neck of the woods.

If you can't deal with the heat stay out of the kitchen.

I always tell my wife she's the boss.

Add "kid" to that list from those younger or just older....

"Hey, kid, how's it going."

George

Doing that in the South means..
you have been,will be or preparing to be on the "Chain gang",
often used to clean the roadside during the summer months...

Pal, Buddy, Friend, Boss, Captain....it's all people who recognize your face but can't remember your name. I don't like being called Pal or buddy. Call me Jeff or don't say anything at all.

me too, even for those who are not the "boss" but may be able to help you out....I find the term particularly effective for service people that help me.....as a sign of respect I sometimes call them "boss".....have never had one respond negatively....

The Boss may not always be right--but he's always the boss!

Thats a really simple concept that many people have a problem with.

One of the kids that works for me calls me "Boss", not in a disrespectful way, beats the informality of calling me by my first name and doesn't sound as regimented as "Sir" or Mr. Edwards

Exactly, and that's the intention. If someone calls you boss, it's meant to be condescending.

My son refers to his wife as "upper management".