throop@cs.utexas.EDU (David Throop) (09/07/89)
[Sorry about the delay in posting this -- I had some trouble with my mailer.] News flash: Knight-Ridder reports "Ms." to be an incorrect form of address, used by the lazy! "Crane's Blue Book of Stationery: The Styles and Etiquette of Letters Notes and Invitations," (referred to as "the Bible" for printers of wedding announcements) bans the use of Ms. entirely. The lastest edition of Emily Post suggests finds it "unattractive." The article says that, among the etiquette doyens "There is a strong suggestion that Ms survives because of laziness: It is used when you don't want to bother to find out what the woman so addressed wants." [The idea that the woman would WANT to be address as Ms. is not discussed.] Since "Crane's" is geared to the wedding industry, it may have a commercial interest in suggesting that all women should want to be known by their marital status. Books by Charlotte Ford and Judith Martin find Ms. as acceptable, as it reflects current usage. ****** I occasionally attend formal cultural events - opera, symphony, etc, - at the Bass Hall at University of Texas. Two pages of the program go to thanking the financial supporters -- usually about two hundred lines of type, with one donor or donor-couple per line. The listings break down to about > 35% as "Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Anthropoid" (or Dr. and Mrs...) form. > 5-10% as "Mrs. George Stationary" (widows, or maybe the husband dislikes opera.) (or maybe her first name *is* George.) > 5% as "Mr Willop Beebob" > 20% as "George and Betty Thunderbrick" > 10% from people listed singly, with no title. > a smattering (< 5%) of "Miss", and "Ms" > a lesser smattering of couples with different last names. ("Billy Swizzle and Julia Stick") > 5% singles using other titles ("Dr", "Hon.", "Rev.", "Col.") > the balance in anonymous, corporate, miscellaneous, and unclassifiable. Most of the listings use some form of title. One of the interesting sidelights to this is who *doesn't* use a title. Listed in the same program are the names of the UT faculty that have helped make the whole thing possible. These are all professors. However, these are always listed without any title, (tho they are all, presumably "Dr.") David Throop, ABD