I think using Ms. is a sign of respect for single women where I'm from (the south). My dad taught me that I should always use Ms. because it is a sign of respect to women in that it does not imply that they are or are not married, and marriage is not for everyone, so it should not just be assumed. So use Ms. until you are corrected. hahaha
I voted for "Ms." That's what I check on forms and such. But I do think I like "Dr." best. Doesn't indicate gender, which is rad, and sounds mega cool with my last name. Unfortunately, I've got quite a few years and a whole lot of work ahead of me if I want that "Dr." title.
I was always taught that Ms was just an abbreviation for "Miss" and that the feminist invention was Mz or "miz".
I thought "Master" was for unmarried men...or is that BS? : 3[/QUOTE] My brother was referred to as "Master" when he was littleā¦ he is referred to as "Mister" now. I don't think "Master" is necessarily for ALL minors, per se. What I mean by that is, I don't think my brother has been called "Master" since he was under the age of 10. It's kind of an outdated turn of phrase.
You can. There is no law. I personally hate Mrs. and I never call people Mrs. even if I know they're married. I hate the sound. I just call everyone Ms. (pronounced Miss). Me too. I never see Miss used. It's either Ms. or Mrs. I've never heard of Mz. though.
Ms. is the female version of Mr. (Which tells everyone that you don't want to share any details that your married or not.) Miss, tells everyone your not married. (Trust me the older you get the closer you lean towards the other one.) In this case, since i am 33 years old i would lean towards Ms. when i dress as a female. LOL
I'd much rather be known as Miss at the moment, since I'm only 16. When I hit, say, 20, I would like to transition to Ms.
I used Miss when I was under 18 (because I always thought of it as meaning "young girl"), but now I use Ms. (pronounced miz) for official documents. I also use it in public for now because I'm not out as agender except to some family. Also, I haven't decided which non-binary title fits me best. If I have to stick to a gendered title, I like Ms. best because it shows that I don't put emphasis on being married. Also, I like it being the equivalent of Mr.
I have totally inherited my Mum's feminism so I am 'Ms'. 'Ms' for me means not being defined by marital status or anything else. If you really think about it, it's difficult to interpret having two separate titles for women and not for men as anything other than a Miss (her father's surname) becoming a Mrs (her husband's surname) to indicate a transference of ownership from the father to the husband. I don't think you necessarily have to be a feminist as such to find that a concept that leaves a sour taste. I wonder how gay marriage will affect this. If you are Miss (your father's surname) and you marry another woman, would you really become a Mrs (your wife's surname)? Or even a Mrs (still your father's surname)? Or a Mrs (your father's surname-hyphen-your wife's surname)? It also raises the question of how your surname fits into your identity - your surname is in many ways more significant than your first name (which is just the name your parents happened to choose). Your surname indicates your clan, the people you belong to in the sense that these are the people who (at some point at least) had a significant role in your existence. The trouble, of course, is that we have (genetically at least) two parents. I appreciate that many people do not come from two-parent families but as it happens I do and my Mum's side of the family is as much a part of my identity as Dad's. So I am a (my mother's surname) as well as a (my father's surname) so in a way, it's strange to only have his surname. Even before I realised I was gay, I was adamant that I would never give up my surname on marriage, it is too much a part of who I am and symbolic of where I come from.
Actually, I think Miss could be used for a married woman in some situations. While Mrs. refers to a married woman, I understand at one time it was only correctly used this way: Mrs. John Smith. Not Mrs. Mary Smith. So in some situations, Mary Smith might have been called "Miss Mary Smith." Say if she worked in an office. I always use Ms. in business letters, etc unless there is known reason to use something else. Although these titles seem to be fading away totally. In my part of the world, it seems like everyone is on a first name basis with everyone else. It seems like the only people left who are called Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss are public school teachers. Although I do still see "Mr." on envelopes sent to me from people hoping to sell me something...
Miss equates to an woman who is unmarried. Ms. is used with women to imply anonymity-- their marital status is ungiven with this. Mrs. remains synonymous with a married individual. Personally, I always use "Ms.," because I find "Miss" and "Mrs." very rude and unfeeling. Women deserve the same anonymity of marriage that men do with "Mr." My mother, despite being married, always used Ms. because of that very reason. It promotes respect for one's private affairs, i.e. marriage.
no, no need to be divorced Ms. means we are not "owned" by some man neither our father or some other man who we are either dating or is going to marry us Miss it is our father who owns us Mrs. it is our husband who owns us Ms. we are our own independent person and capable of making decisions for ourselves. I really hate the fact that the lady at the rental agency can't figure out that I am not Mrs X - she knows I am not married - I live alone, she even knows my history she did a check on my background to get my rental.