American mannerism

In Brazil we always call a person by his "war" name. It could be his first, last or any of his middle names. It's simply the name by which he is known and likes to be addressed to. One of the reasons is that we aren't a very formal lot and the second to differentiate people where there's several with the same name. The exceptions are with military people and people that use titles as a part of the name: doctors, priests etc...

In my stories I always preferred to call spankees by name and the other characters depending on their level of authority.

blimp
So let's say I'm old-fashioned myself!

bendover
"Maybe they'll learn something by it": that's just wishful thinking.
Here we are not on first name basis, thank God, but the traditional "Bonjour Monsieur/Madame" has long ago become a flippant "Bonjour!". I've kept answering "Bonjour Monsieur/Madame" just to show my displeasure but nobody cares.
The only people I hear calling me Madame is (quite unexpectedly) supermarket cashiers, probably trained to do so.
Thanks to everyone for answering me, but I wonder if there are any Brits among you

Like Blimp, I'm getting more old fashioned every day, and I have found it helpful to use Sir /Ma'am when speaking to my customers. It's much quicker than Mr/Mrs Whatsit, and slightly ingratiating as well, which helps when we struggle to get round the point where, if we were French we would haul out the special verb they have to say 'you may use the familiar term 'tu' with me now."

Since learning from a historical novel that 'Mrs' was also used as an abbreviation for 'Mistress' - who might or might not be married - I sometimes reverse that and call those of my customers whose marital status is uncertain "Mistress Whatsit" - OK, I do it somewhat light heartedly, but it it does trip of the tongue easier than Mizz.

I've often thought that we lack, in English, suitable term for people who we wish to give a some respect to but not be as formal as Mr or Mrs. When I learned Spanish very badly at school we were told of the title Don as in Don Quixote which can be used to fulfil this function instead of Señor. Children sometimes use the term Uncle or Auntie for their parents' friends and others who are not related to them, but that seems too familiar to me.

Simply using "Sir and "Ma'am" fills those duties. This is a wonderfully convenient form of polite address because it's short and universal, so you don't need to remember anyone's name! Perhaps it's a NE USA affectation from my youth, perhaps it's my military years, but I still use those two words often.

I have noticed that when an English or American film has been added subtitles in Danish, the translator has this problem: In Danish we have two ways to address others, the polite "De" and the "du" (thee or thou). When people start using first name, "you" will be translated as "du" but until then, it is hard to find the right word. Within the last 50 years most people says du to everybody, young people do not know the difference, but a story set in the 50s (or earlier) will have to show this differentiation.

Willow definitely. Because that's the switch you'll be cutting after the 'first name bit.'

Another thing I think hasn't been mentioned is the tendency that has been around for some time of when introducing people to only use the first name." Joe, this is Karen. Karen, this is Joe." Very informal.
I think courtesy titles are appropriate in many occasions. I do not like perfect strangers calling me with some sales pitch and using my first name. Same with many business situations when we do not know each other well. On the other hand, I do not mind my dentist who I have been seeing for years being on a first name basis.
And then there is age difference. Children or teens did not call adults ,any adults, by their first names wheh I was growing up. It was something that could be a spankable offense. And i'd hate to think of what would have happened to a kid in the classroom that called out "hey,teach."

Well, I don't think the LSF is chock full of a bunch of backwoods stump jumpers. British, American, Brazilian, whatever. I believe we are all courteous when we have to be, no matter what nationality or country we may share.

Beatrice apparently though she likes to be called "Beat" for short!!