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I'll Lock Up
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I've been called "ma'am" and "Miss Miller" since I was 12. What can I say--I was born old.
Inky said:As usual, this thread got me thinking about the use of "Ms." as a salutation and a bit of research got me to this info from the American Heritage Dictionary:
USAGE NOTE: Many of us think of Ms. or Ms as a fairly recent invention of the women's movement, but in fact the term was first suggested as a convenience to writers of business letters by such publications as the Bulletin of the American Business Writing Association (1951) and The Simplified Letter, issued by the National Office Management Association (1952). Ms. is now widely used in both professional and social contexts. As a courtesy title Ms. serves exactly the same function that Mr. does for men, and like Mr. it may be used with a last name alone or with a full name. Furthermore, Ms. is correct regardless of a woman's marital status, thus relegating that information to the realm of private life, where many feel it belongs anyway. Some women prefer Miss or Mrs., however, and courtesy requires that their wishes be respected.
Really? I have never heard that. All I've heard of is the Misses Such-and-Such School for Girls, or Miss So-and-So's Whatever. I've gathered that Madam was accepted neutral-status term. May I ask where you learned that? I do living history, so I'd like to know if I've missed something.dhermann1 said:Back about 1800 any woman who was emancipated, in other words responsible for herself, was called Mrs. A single lady setting up to be a school marm, or something along those lines, would advertise herself as Mrs.
Also interesting! I recently read a story set in early 1700s England, and a young unmarried woman in it was consistently called Mistress LastName. (I think married women were Madam, but I would need to check.) I though that Miss was the natural shortening of Mistress. I know a novel isn't the best historical source; but it was written no later than 1925, so I want to give the author credit for knowing more about it than we do.Of course the contraction Mrs. stands for Mistress, as in the Mistress of a household. How the word got its more illicit implication I don't know, just another irony of language.
HatfeathersVint said:This doesn't really help anything, but while reading it reminded me that my Grandma called her Mother-In-Law Mrs. Spotts, instead of by her first name or Grandma/Granny/GreatGranny. You would think they'd be on a first name basis after she'd been married to Grandpa for nearly 60 years and also being, technically, Mrs. Spotts, but nope, always the same.
THAT'S ME.Marc Chevalier said:There are more terms, you know...
-- She Who Must Be Obeyed
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