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From: Ben Sauvin <sauvin@csql.mv.com>
Subject: Re: Informal address [was: Re: "plural" you
Message-ID: <326D70CC.1DEC@csql.mv.com>
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Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 01:11:40 GMT
References: <52pmh8$t5@news.alaska.edu> <3266E677.62C0@worldnet.att.net> <DzGApM.D7C@midway.uchicago.edu> <54gcdf$l7q@news.alaska.edu> <DznnIK.E7o@midway.uchicago.edu>
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Daniel von Brighoff wrote:
> 
> In article <54gcdf$l7q@news.alaska.edu>,  <71064.332@compuserve.com> wrote:
> >
> >I'm not sure the custom of formal address is in retreat on _all_ fronts
> >in our US culture; AFAIK my alma mater, St. John's College (of Annapolis
> >Maryland and Santa Fe NM) still requires the use of Mr., Ms., Mrs., or
> >Ms. in classes or seminars.  This becomes ingrained enough so that
> >after almost 30 years my old tutors still address me as "Mr. Partlow"...
> 
>         Theoretically, the custom at U of C is to address all faculty with
> Mr., Ms., or Mrs. (I've *never* heard "Miss" used), regardless of their
> level of attainment.  In practice, one of my first three instructors asked
> us to call her "Lisa" and ribbed me for being (AFAICT) the sole resistor--
> and that was already eight years ago.  I'd be very surprised if the
> situation at St. John's is still exactly as you remember it.
> 
> --
>          Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
>         (deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
>                                    /____\      gegen die Kunst!


  Having lived within the United States for, well, um, it's been a Very
Long Time, Now, I tend to bristle when people call me "Sir". According
to my childhood French, anybody with grey hair is automatically a "Sir",
regardless of his circumstances otherwise, and for people still living
in that culture and/or atmosphere, that's fine, but people have been
calling me either "Ben" or "Hey, YOU!" for so long that "Sir" has become
more than vaguely insulting.
