Is calling someone Miss/Mr and their first name poor English or bad grammar?
This is a Southern U.S. custom and is followed when speaking to an older person you know well, but want to address with both affection and respect. It's a bit old fashioned but still common.My students never call me this, but I am sometimes called "Miss Anne" by the children of my friends, younger neighbors or acquaintances and people in authority over me but who are well-known to me. It's used in medical settings too. My dentist talks to me this way, the poor soul, before he gasses me. My spouse's colleagues and business partners address me like this as well, though no nitrous is involved. I sometimes follow the custom with people a generation older than me (I am 50), such as my mother's friends, but only if they're Southerners. I would never address a non-Southerner this way because they probably wouldn't understand the intent.We tend to use "Sir" and "Ma'am" and "Miss" a lot more, and often affectionately or ironically, with people we know well, but this is an old fashioned regional thing and it confuses people from other regions, who suspect they're being mocked. In fairness, we do mock this way, but it's really not meanspirited. It's complimentary, as in "Look how far you have come."The tired old joke about this here is that the "Sir" shouldn't worry you. It's what follows, e.g., "We dont..." or "You are making a scene." :p
When do you call a woman ms, miss, or mrs? i am confused with the addressing. ?
It will depend on how well you know the person you are addressing. If she is obviously married, MRS. If she is obviosly unmarried, MISS. If you do not know, MS.
What is the male version of Miss, Mrs and Ms?
Men are fortunate in that their marital status matters to no one, nor is it reflected in their forms of address. Through adolescense, a male may be referred to as "Master" and after that, until his death, he is "Mister." Women, on the other hand, are identified by their marital status: Miss (the father's last name) until they marry and become Mrs. (the husband's last name), and have no real "identity" of our own, only that of the closest male. And we get to have two names: "Her maiden name is...," "Her married name is..." but who are we really, if not identified as an an appendage or attachment to a male? How many men would find it easy/reasonable/acceptable to leave behind the only surname they've ever known and begin calling themselves by "somebody else's" last name?If we're "of a certain age" and are still "Miss," we couldn't "catch" a man and, therefore, elevate our status to that which every woman aspires. We're Spinsters, Old Maids.Married or single, if we choose "Ms," we're emasculating, man-hating women's libbers, whatever that means this far beyond the '60/'70s. Probably, if she's single, no man will "have her" and if she's married, she doesn't know her "place" and her husband "can't keep her in her place."Pretty insulting all around, huh? I used my "maiden name," or "birth name" for the first 4 years I was married. The aggravation with official forms, documents, insurance, introductions, etc., finally did me in and I began to use my husband's name. "Officialdom" is easier, but I feel an obligation and attachment to my birth name. That's who I am.Men will never know the feeling except for those who are courageous enough to take their wives' names or those who choose to hyphenate their names.
What's the difference between "Mrs", "Miss" and "Ms"?
I'll give simple facts first, then opinions. As a teacher, I have seen this come up again and again in my various workplaces.Facts:"Miss" means "unmarried woman.""Mrs." means "married woman" and is pronounced like "misses.""Ms." means "woman" and is pronounced "miz." Note that "Ms." and "Miss" are NOT the same; "Ms." is NOT an abbreviation for "Miss.""Mr." means "man" and is pronounced "mister." I know that wasn't part of your question, though.(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En...)Less straightforward facts:Many people think it's improper for a woman to indicate her marital status as part of her title, and therefore recommend "Ms." be used for all women and Miss/Mrs. not be used at all.Many people don't use the titles according to their definitions. This is sometimes intentional ("I like to be called Miss because Ms. makes me feel old") and sometimes not ("Ms. is just an abbreviation for Miss, isn't it?")My personal opinions (in ascending order of precedence):People should use titles according to their currently commonly accepted definitions (for example, I don't think an unmarried woman should call herself "Mrs.," because that is confusing.)People should not mention their marital status when it is not relevant, and certainly should not be forced to do so by custom.*When it comes down to it, though, people have a right to be called what they want to be called.Bottom line:Here's what I do, and it's my advice to anyone.If somebody seems to be a woman, use "Ms." and pronounce it correctly.But: if somebody asks you to call them by a different title, use that title.But: if that person is your friend, ask them why they like that title instead. Start a conversation. Sometimes people change their minds when they learn the facts... ;)*By the way, I also don't think gender should be part of the conversation; I'd like it if there were a gender-neutral honorific in English, but there isn't, except for ones that include other meanings, like Dr. or Professor.
What's an alternative to Ma'am?
I'm not a fan of calling women "Ma'am". And whenever I accidentally do, I get a nasty look, so I'm guessing that women aren't fans of being called Ma'am either. Ok... so what would an alternative be? I'm looking for a way to use it at the end of specific "yes" or "no" answer... I was thinking madam, but that feels like something you'd say to a cougar on the prowl. :)
Is it more polite to say Ms. or Miss in an email?
Both forms are applicable. Ms. is the short form for Miss.Both can be used interchangeably.I see people have various theories here on whether you should write Ms. or Miss.All that most people here are doing is confusing you.Its a simple fact that is taught to students in middle school when they are taught to write letters.Mrs. is the short form for Missus. Mrs. is generally used for married and Ms. is generally used for unmarried.But,there is not any strict rule for this.If you are unaware of the marital status of the woman addressed then it's permissible to write Ms. (even if the woman addressed is married or unmarried).Generally in formal address we write Ms.(irrespective of whether the woman is married or unmarried) and in informal address we write Mrs. (if the woman is married).However,in general,we write the short forms Ms. and Mrs. more often than their full forms Miss and Missus respectively as they are more convenient in usage.Another thing,both the addresses-Ms./Miss and Mrs./Missus-are polite.But,if you are not using any address and are stating the name directly without any address then that is impolite.A lot of people are confused with this fact.I hope this piece of information will certainly help you.I have tried to explain it in a simple and lucid language as far as possible.
How should I call a female teacher, sir, miss, or ma'am?
I’m mostly referred to as “Teacher”. Being referred to as my job title feels professional and impersonal, and I like it that way.If they called me “ma’am”, I’d say I’m under 30. If I were over, I’d say I’m not married or old enough to be called so.If they called me “miss”, I’d point out that it’s too formal, and it’s weird to refer to a grown woman as “miss”. Personal preference, but I think “miss” is more appropriate for a teenager than a woman.I’m not male, so sir isn’t applicable.I’ve been addressed with the formal you, which is also plural in my native language, to which I usually reply that there’s only one of me.So “teacher” is fine, and otherwise - use my name.However, I’m pretty sure every teacher has their own preferences and you should ask them. Some may want to be addressed as “ma’am” or “sir” or “archduke”. Other are more minimalist, like me.
Is the title 'Mrs.' still useful in today's society? What do you think of using just Mr., Miss and Ms. or doing away with them altogether?
It’s still useful when a woman is particularly proud of her marriage, or would like someone to recognize that she is married as opposed to not. Some of the lesbian women I know prefer for me to use the Mrs. honorific when I address them in a professional setting. That being said many people just do not care for honorifics. Before I begin to use them I ask if someone prefers a particular set of honorifics, whether that is Ms, Mrs, Mr, Sir, Ma’am, or Mx. If you have trouble with accidentally using one I would ask which honorifics someone prefers if any.PRO TIP: If you are curious about someone’s pronouns but for some reason have an aversion to coming out and asking what pronouns they use, asking for honorifics can help.
Why do people call each other sir or ma'am in the South?
You're comparing apples and oranges. Mr. and Mrs. are courtesy titles. They're used in conjunction with the person's last name, as in "Mr. Robinson." You use them to address somebody to whom you owe respect, but who you don't know well enough to address by their given name. You don't, however, keep on saying "Mr. Robinson" to him during the whole conversation, do you? ("Yes, Mr. Robinson. I know, Mr. Robinson. What do you think, Mr. Robinson?") That would sound stilted, to say the least. You also use "Mr." and "Mrs." when referring to somebody while talking to a third party. Sir and Ma'am are polite forms of address. You use them when addressing the person directly. You also use them when you don't know the person's name. You can't just say "hey, you."
Do Miss and Ms. mean the same thing?
Hi Jared, Well according to most English teachers I've had: 'Miss' is a term reserved for an unmarried woman, and 'Ms.' is used to apply to both married and unmarried women. The term 'Ms.' arrived in the 70's when the publication 'Ms. Magazine' started. The idea behind the term is that it's a woman's personal and professional choice to choose who knows her marital status, by means of formal address. Lata