Ladies - "Miss" or "Ms"?

Former Member

What title do you use? I always thought for young girls it's "Miss," but now that seems to make me think of a 70 year old spinster, and "Ms" seems more modern? I always thought "Ms" was if you had been married before, or didn't want to reveal your marital status?

Former Member

I'm a Miss and will be til I get married. 'Ms' makes me think of a teacher

Former Member

I always thought Ms was for when you didn't know...or for when the person was divorced.

Hmm.

Former Member

,

Former Member

Miss. I thought than Ms was when you were married but then divorced too

Former Member

NO ...Women use MS because they have adopted it as a way of showing people that they don't want to be defined by their marital status. The reasoning is that Miss and Mrs are societies (Or evil mens) way of putting women into boxes and making their status obvious. ie..Miss means unmarried (on the shelf, a spinster, not 'lucky' enough to have found a husband) and Mrs says 'MARRIED', not available, tied to another person etc etc etc.

However, I hate being called MS and I resent it when people send me letters of fill in forms and have chosen Ms for me because they are not sure of my marital status! I find Ms insulting and I have to say that when I was taking womens names to place orders for them the ones who insisted on being a Ms were bitter, men hating, foul cows!! infact before I even asked the question 'Mis, mrs or Ms' I KNEW which ones would firmly and rudely say 'Ms'.

I am happy to be known as Miss and if I did get married (Like if I was insane) then i'd still be called Miss and I'd keep my own surname! I don't like it when people put me down as a Mrs either. Because I AM A MISS..its simple...MISS MISS MISS.

(can you tell I am really bugged by the Ms thing? ...I had a letter printed in the local paper about it a few weeks ago!! )

Former Member

i either use Mrs or Ms. As byny said, Ms is for women who dont want to be defined by their marital status, which I think is fine. Why should women have to tell their marital status when men dont have to. Its not something that particularly bothers me, and i often use mrs out of habit, but i think all women should use Ms really. Using Miss is just an attempt to sound girly and young.

Former Member

yes...but by insisting on Ms isn't a woman making a much more defining statement about herself....Isn't it just a little bit pathetic?

I embrace my Miss-ness!

Former Member

Originally posted by byny
yes...but by insisting on Ms isn't a woman making a much more defining statement about herself....Isn't it just a little bit pathetic?

I embrace my Miss-ness!

I dont think of it like that, I can see how it might be thought of like that while its still not used that much, but the more people use it, the less it will be seen as a statement. Using Miss when youre actually an adult is a bit like a grown man using the title master.

Former Member

I prefer being called Miss. I'm proud of my innocent, unmarried status! It'll be so weird if I get married, then I'll be a Mrs :eek:

Former Member

Usually im just Sarah, but when i become married i think ill be proud to say im Mrs, i dont see why i would want to hide that im not married?

Former Member

its not a case of hiding your marital status, but saying why should your marital status be put in front of your name, when there is nothing similar for men. Its a relic from the past when women could only gain status once married.

Former Member

Actually there is a men's version of the Miss/Mrs thing. When I was little I used to have things sent to me under the title of "Master", although I think that's more to disguish a child from an adult rather than married status although it's similar in a way.

Why can't we just use names or initials nowadays anyway? Does it really matter that our letters show what gender/marital status we all are? Plus using initials would clear up the confusion which happens in lots of houses with two men of the surname when you get a letter for Mr Bloggs.

Former Member

I can see how some people may find it a bit sexist in a way and as if women are just there to get married, but still it could stop alot of confusion if u meet someone say hi im Ms Morgan and then a guy starts trying it on then your prob gona tell him your married anyway. I know i dont really know much on this subject but its just me opinion.

Former Member

i like the sound of miss ms sounds old and broein

Former Member

i'll be a miss forever!

Former Member

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Former Member

Miss... but if im filling out applications for interviews i always put Ms ~ because my marital status isnt important so im not giving it away!

Former Member

Look, as much as you might think it all men are NOT out to put you down and force you into doing house work!

My wife is a Ms because she wanted to keep her last name for work.

I'm surprised how many of you see it as some tool of oppression, its not like men are laughing to each other saying "Ha ha, I've tied her down now she calls herself Mrs! She's never going to leave the house again"

Former Member

At the moment I'm Miss, when I get married I'll be Mrs (Hartnett ), and in the workplace, I'll be Dr

Former Member

ooooh Mrs Diesel... sounds good

Former Member

i'm a miss

Former Member

Personally I think it's a bit silly bothering with 'Ms' - I mean, if you're married then you're happy about it, right? So you shouldn't have problems with people knowing you're a 'Mrs'. And the same applies to someone who's unmarried. What reasons do people have for wanting to hide it? Pretending they are/aren't married?

I'm a 'Miss' and that's how I refer to myself, and if/when I get married, I'll become 'Mrs.'

Former Member

Originally posted by byny
However, I hate being called MS and I resent it when people send me letters of fill in forms and have chosen Ms for me because they are not sure of my marital status! I find Ms insulting and I have to say that when I was taking womens names to place orders for them the ones who insisted on being a Ms were bitter, men hating, foul cows!! infact before I even asked the question 'Mis, mrs or Ms' I KNEW which ones would firmly and rudely say 'Ms'.

That is soooooo true! I work part-time in a customer services dept, and you can always tell which bitter, nasty, women, want to be called Ms, and which nasty, foul old cows are going to insist on being called Ms.
It's when they insist on being called Ms, or get uppity about being called anything other than Ms, that you just know they're going to be the evil customers.

Mr_Wobble

Former Member

Miss and planning on staying that for a looooooong time!

Former Member

Is this fact unknown to women? As soon as ladies have a boyfriend, all us gentlemen refer to our females as... "The Missus."
I.e.: My mate: How's The Missus?
Me: She's fine.
Something in the region of that.

Former Member

the thing about the whole business with ms is that it was designed to be neutral and not give away your marital status, but when women use it, people automatically assume they are divorced or widowed. and so it doesn't work!

i personally don't see any problem with the traditional mrs/miss. all this ms business is far too feminist for my liking!

i can't wait to change my name when i get married, i think it's quite exciting actually!