Word: mr
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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When I was a kid, the world of grownups was full of mysterious delights, like drinking coffee, staying up late and using swear words. Adults had first names, but no one under 21 knew what they were because back then, grownups were part of a Mr.-and-Mrs. package. Your friend's parents might have been Ginny and Stan, but for you they were Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, and they would remain so forever. Now, though, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are divorced. Mrs. Peterson is remarried but uses her maiden name. Mr. Peterson and his new wife just...
About half of all families today are marked by multiple marriages and mingled surnames. Parents and children no longer necessarily share a family name. Schools cope by sending mail addressed "To the parents of..." But without Mr. and Mrs., how should children address adults...
Louisiana tried to take the matter out of the hands of feckless parents like me last week when the Governor signed into law the "Respect Bill," which requires kids in public schools to address teachers as ma'am or sir; Mr., Mrs. or Ms.--and it's starting to sound good to me, because it gets us all off the hook, first-name-wise. Mr. Trey Williams, Governor Mike Foster's press secretary, told me the Governor feels that the use of ma'am and sir should be taught at home, but it isn't. He called...
...called Letitia Baldrige, social secretary of the Kennedy White House and author of books on manners, and she politely but firmly set me straight on how children should address adults. "For children the parents of their friends should be addressed as Mr. and Mrs.," she said. "A woman in your situation should be Miss or Ms., followed by your last name. Even if your name is different from your child's, it can be memorized." Ms. Baldrige thinks that "Miss Amy" is pleasingly Southern and old-fashioned but is not strictly correct...
Parents can make this easy for children, she said, by always introducing other adults as "Mr., Miss or Ms." In front of a child, do not ask other adults what name they would like the child to call them by; in a panic they might suggest their first name. If an adult insists that she be addressed by her first name, though, the child should comply. Ms. Baldrige then suggested that parents like me should grow up immediately, and politely ask to be addressed correctly. Before we hung up, I had one more question. "May I call you Letitia...