Mrs. Ms. and Miss.

[Rex]

I get so confused on these surnames. Could someone please explain (in detail)?

 

[No*s]

Mrs. -- a married woman
Ms. -- an unmarried woman
Miss -- A woman, no reference to marriage

 

[Pah]

I get so confused on these surnames. Could someone please explain (in detail)?

:sarcasm Well no wonder:/sarcasm - Not names at all they are considered titles or honorifics Mrs. is for married women - Mr. for married and unmarried men - Ms. for married and unmarried women - Miss for unmarried women

 

[Rex]

This is where confusion happens.

Ms. can be married or unmarried?

 

[Pah]

This is where confusion happens.

Ms. can be married or unmarried?

As can Mr.

 

[Lightkeeper]

While we are on the subject most women hate to be called ma'am. Mrs. can also apply to a divorced woman.

 

[rivet]

Mrs. = married
Miss (mis) = unmarried
Ms. (miz) = either
Ma'am = short for madam = either

Hey you = male, female, married, single, divorced

 

[SK2005]

Hey you = male, female, married, single, divorced

hahaha

 

[Lightkeeper]

Mrs. = married
Miss (mis) = unmarried
Ms. (miz) = either
Ma'am = short for madam = either

Hey you = male, female, married, single, divorced

Might not work too well on an envelope.

 

[SK2005]

Might not work too well on an envelope.

Good call, nor talking to your teacher...

 

[Bastet]

While we are on the subject most women hate to be called ma'am.

Glad that's not just me...makes me feel about 100. Although one of my online friends calls me ma'am jokingly, and that's ok. I do it to her too lol. :biglaugh:

 

[mrscardero]

I am Mrs. Carrdero but not to be confused with Carrdero's mother. :tsk:

 

[Fluffy]

I always thought that calling someone ma'am was like the polite equivilant of sir. A formal address when you are uncertain of the other persons name. Like for example if you were working at a shop and were talking to a customer of which all the other people who I work with do but I havent picked it up yet lol.

 

[retrorich]

Mrs. -- a married woman
Ms. -- an unmarried woman
Miss -- A woman, no reference to marriage

Excuse me, but I think that is incorrect. I believe it should be:

Mrs. -- a married woman
Miss -- an unmarried woman
Ms. -- a woman with no reference to marital status

And, incidentally, I hate it when someone addresses me with ANY of the above. :biglaugh:

 

[michel]

It was much easier before 'Women's lib' went a bit too far, Rex, We just has Miss, Mrs and Mr (although there was also 'Master' in the UK, which is for a pre - adult male.)

Marie HATES being called 'Ms' - and lets people who address her as such know.
In my own eyes, true chivarly died with the introduction of 'Ms' ; just as when I sometimes find very 'women's lib' aware women who look at me as a geek if I open a door for them, as I do for men as well anyway.

Life was so 'elegant' before bras were burned; mind you, I cannot abide sexual discrimination; I just enjoy being a 'gentleman' to 'ladies'.

 

[FyreBrigidIce]

The bra burning incident never actually happened. I found that out during my Gender and Society class.

I do not mind being called Ma'am. I also offiliate it with the feminine alternative to Sir. It is appropriate when one does not know the name of the female they are addressing. It is also appropriate when you do know the name but do not want to keep addressing them by name after each sentence. (ex. order or customer service calls) When referring to my own title I use both Mrs. and Ms. Ms. sounds more sophisticated in my mind. Not that I am sophisticated but hey I can act at times.

I have had female customers be so rude about how they should be addressed though that it really burns my hide. How hard is it to say in a pleasant tone "Please call me "Mrs., Ms., or Miss"? Instead of a snotty tone or sounding like a cat that has just been sprayed with water?


Just my own 2 cents
FBI

 

[Fluffy]

I have had female customers be so rude about how they should be addressed though that it really burns my hide. How hard is it to say in a pleasant tone "Please call me "Mrs., Ms., or Miss"? Instead of a snotty tone or sounding like a cat that has just been sprayed with water?

eurgh agreed! Except I used to get this from all the female teachers at school till one day I just started calling them by their first names instead and they stopped being snotty about it (I have a very bad memory especially when it comes to remembering the marital status of 40 odd women, most of whom I dont see on a regular basis).

 

[Scuba Pete]

You know I saw a Mz recently. It might have been on this board.

 

[Bastet]

I have used 'Ms' as my title since I hit 18, and it had nothing to do with women's lib. I just thought it sounded more 'adult'. When I answer my phone and someone asks for 'Mrs. [my surname]', it's a dead giveaway that they're telemarketers, and the phone call never lasts long.

 

[anders]

The problems you invent for yourselves! Why not just do away with titles/prefixes? For years and years, I always give my name (when needed) w/o the "Mr." thing. Even in German, I rather unconventionally tell correspondents that I'm gonna address them as "Du" ("you", or rather, etymologically, "thou"), and tell them that is because I statistically am way older than them, and so it's my privilege to choose terms.

Just some 60 or 70 years ago, my mother in her present state (at 88) would have had letters addressed to "Änkefru Märta ...." ("the widow, Mrs. Märta ...) Nowadays, it is just "Märta ...". Much simpler.