Mrs. Ms. Misses or Miss?

[Razor7826]

I'm not even sure that third one is ever proper.

A story I'm working on centers around a widowed mother that takes her daughter's place in a slavery contract to a family friend. She has kept her last name after her husband's death, but I'm not sure whether or not she would retain Mrs. or convert to Ms. Are there hardset rules about it, or their replacement with Miss?

[Pearlgem]

'Miss' is for unmarried women, usually never married.
'Mrs' is for married women.
'Ms' simply denoted female.

However, it's rarely that straightforward. There is a misconception that 'Ms' equates with 'divorced' although divorced women can use it of course, but strictly speaking, any female from 9 months to 90 can call themselves 'Ms'. It doesn't denote any marital status, just gender, and is intended to equate to 'Mr' in men which simply indicates 'male.' Some people still think 'Ms' too 'women's lib' and plenty of folk misconstrue it still.

Very many women keep 'Mrs' after widowhood. 'Miss' can also be used as an honorary title, for instance, many female singers are called 'Miss' although they are married.

So a direct answer to your question would be that it would be fine to call her 'Mrs', OR 'Ms' depending on how up to date and socially aware of the finer points you think your characters are.

[Razor7826]

Thanks!

[walkingdude225]

thats very fussy for me form time to itme aswell

[leah06]

If she keeps her husband's name after he dies, she can certainly still be Mrs. If you want to use a dialect pronounciation for some reason, you can spell it Missus. I think Misses suggests the plural of Miss, as in, Ol' Missus and the young misses. Of course, if she's a slave, it's pretty hot for her master to be calling her Mrs. anyway. "Mrs. Appleton, come here please and insert this in your ass." I like that.

[Pearlgem]

If she keeps her husband's name after he dies, she can certainly still be Mrs. If you want to use a dialect pronounciation for some reason, you can spell it Missus. I think Misses suggests the plural of Miss, as in, Ol' Missus and the young misses. Of course, if she's a slave, it's pretty hot for her master to be calling her Mrs. anyway. "Mrs. Appleton, come here please and insert this in your ass." I like that.

This has made me chuckle for two days. x x

[Ozme52]

Perfect.

[DIXIE LASS]

I'm not even sure that third one is ever proper.

A story I'm working on centers around a widowed mother that takes her daughter's place in a slavery contract to a family friend. She has kept her last name after her husband's death, but I'm not sure whether or not she would retain Mrs. or convert to Ms. Are there hardset rules about it, or their replacement with Miss?

If the widow resides in the rural South, she will probably prefer Mrs. Regardless of her wishes, her friends, neighbors, and co-workers will
continue to use Mrs. Of course, this is pronounced MIZ.

If the widow resides in SanFrancisco, however, she better prefer Ms because her friends, neighbors, and co-workers will insist on its use.
Dittos for the rest of California, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and DC.

The rest of the country? A toss-up. Generally Mrs. as you move through the western mountain states like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming
and sweep back around thru' Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. (Hey....if I missed any red states I'm sorry.) A decided leaning toward Ms
as you move toward and into the northeast.

DIXIE

P.S. The word Ms is generally hated, reviled, and sneered at by white Southerners over the page of 40.

[John Tagliaferro]

If it happens before the 1970s, Ms. did not exist. In my writing, Misses is used in dialogue, Mrs. everywhere else.

[Miss Irene Clearmont]

Miss


Guess why?

[John Tagliaferro]

Miss


Guess why?

Just taking a wild stab at this, you want everybody to know you are available?

[Ozme52]

Nah... In this case, it's more likely Miss(tress) Irene is the keeper of boys. ;)

..and John, if it's dialogue, I suggest the Missus (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missus) (or Missis) spelling, as Misses is strictly the plural of Miss.

[John Tagliaferro]

Nah... In this case, it's more likely Miss(tress) Irene is the keeper of boys. ;)

..and John, if it's dialogue, I suggest the Missus (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missus) (or Missis) spelling, as Misses is strictly the plural of Miss.

Bah, it past my editor.

[Venom]

I, too, came to this point once, yet from another direction: What stands "Mrs." for? I wanted to use the full phrase in addition to the abbreviation to emphasise that the character was married. I ended up with "Misses" -- after asking around, that was. English is not my mother tongue, and it is indeed a problem to get clearance on this topic.

[John Tagliaferro]

I, too, came to this point once, yet from another direction: What stands "Mrs." for? I wanted to use the full phrase in addition to the abbreviation to emphasise that the character was married. I ended up with "Misses" -- after asking around, that was. English is not my mother tongue, and it is indeed a problem to get clearance on this topic.

In American English it has always been Misses during my young life.

[Ozme52]

Bah, it past my editor.

A grammar editor or a spell checker? It is, of course, a valid word. "At batting practice he had several misses swinging at the fastball and always misses the curve." (Both noun and verb.)

...and while I'm doin' the grammar cop thing, ;) "it passed your editor". Past is one of those confusing sounds-like words that is in fact, not the past tense of pass.

[John Tagliaferro]

A grammar editor or a spell checker? It is, of course, a valid word. "At batting practice he had several misses swinging at the fastball and always misses the curve." (Both noun and verb.)

...and while I'm doin' the grammar cop thing, ;) "it passed your editor". Past is one of those confusing sounds-like words that is in fact, not the past tense of pass.

My editor as in the guy who reads all my commercial stuff and decides if it is getting published or not where he works.

[mkp]

Also, Ms. is used by a lot of young women (like myself) who think quite frankly my marital status doesn't need to be advertised. A man's isn't, after all.

[mkp]

I, too, came to this point once, yet from another direction: What stands "Mrs." for? I wanted to use the full phrase in addition to the abbreviation to emphasise that the character was married. I ended up with "Misses" -- after asking around, that was. English is not my mother tongue, and it is indeed a problem to get clearance on this topic.

Not actually being a linguistics person or anything, my guess would actually be that it comes from the possessive "Mister's".

[John Tagliaferro]

Also, Ms. is used by a lot of young women (like myself) who think quite frankly my marital status doesn't need to be advertised. A man's isn't, after all.

If your story is in a time period before the 1970s, "Ms." did not exist then and should be avoided for period accuracy.

[Venom]

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