sis

   A short form of ‘sister’ used by brothers or sisters of the person addressed. Workingclass speakers, usually men, might also use it to a woman unrelated to them. See also sister.

   ‘Sis’ is used rather unconvincingly in Arthur Hailey’s Hotel A conversation takes place between ‘Lord Selwyn’ and ‘the Duchess of Croydon’, his sister, both supposedly members of the British aristocracy. Lord Selwyn uses ‘sis’ during the conversation, though the abbreviated form does not accord with the formality of their speech and their social class.

   An Indecent Obsession, by Colleen McCullough, has a patient in a hospital saying to a nurse: ‘I beg your pardon, Sister.’ She replies: ‘You’d better start calling me Sis the way the rest of them do. Sooner or later you will anyway.’ ‘All right, Sis, I will,’ says the man.

   This is a special situation, where a nursing sister has charge of a very small ward in which there are only six fairly permanent patients. Her relationship with them is more friendly than one would normally expect; indeed she and one of the patients become lovers. He continues to call her ‘Sis’ even then, causing her to say: ‘Can’t you remember to call me Honour?’ A similar situation arises in The Sleepers of Erin, by Jonathan Gash: ‘“Which part of Ireland are you from, Sister?” “Sinead.” “Where’s that?” She fell about laughing. “Stupid man. It’s my name. I mean stop calling me Sister. You’re not in hospital any more.”’