Another conspicuous deviation from English norms of address and reference occurs
in contact situations when Australian speakers use the Japanese suffix -san in place of
an English title such as Mr. In the video tape-recorded data Australian participants in
six of the ten encounters employed this pattern in address or reference. Use of the suffix
-san by Japanese speakers in the recorded data was exceptional, although numerous
Australian informants report its use by the Japanese. Elsewhere it has been suggested
that Australians readily adopt the Japanese norm as an avoidance measure for using an
English title and surname - a pattern which in many contexts in Australian English
communicates distance too strongly (Marriott 1991b). It emerged from the interview
data that while Japanese business personnel neutrally evaluate the use of -san by
Australians in most cases, they attach an inadequacy marking to it when used toward
senior Japanese or toward personnel who are introduced for the first time. This instance
thus parallels others where the status of outgroup addressee or superior referent are
components in the input to politeness. Australians are unable to vary the norm
pertaining to the use of -san and instead apply it rigidly, giving no consideration to the
status of the referent involved (Neustupny 1985b: 165).