General
sir
What does sir mean?
In leather and BDSM circles, 'Sir' is a title with weight — used to address a dominant or a respected, experienced leatherman. It's part of the protocol the Old Guard borrowed from military culture, where honorifics were mandatory and rank meant something. You don't hand it out casually; it's a mark of dominance, experience or earned respect. A submissive addresses their Top as Sir, but so does the wider community honour a senior leatherman.
"Yes, Sir — and she meant the capital S; he'd earned it twenty years over."
Origin
Leather/BDSM honorific carried over from the Old Guard's military-style protocol, where titles and chain-of-command respect were mandatory.
Frequently asked questions
What does Sir mean in the leather community?
It's an honorific for a dominant or experienced leatherman, earned through community protocol rather than simply assumed.
Is Sir just a polite title here?
No, within leather culture it's a respected, earned honorific tied to community protocol, not a generic form of address.
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