Wife Mrs

Wife Mrs
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Honorific for women who are married
"Mrs" redirects here. For other uses, see Mrs (disambiguation) .
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Look up Mrs in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

^ "Definition of Mrs" . Merriam-Webster . Retrieved 2021-10-25 .

^ "Mrs" . Cambridge Dictionary . Retrieved 2021-10-25 .

^ "Mrs abbreviation" . Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary . Retrieved 2021-10-25 .

^ "Abbreviations : Capital Letters and Abbreviations" . www.sussex.ac.uk . Retrieved 26 February 2018 .

^ Spender, Dale. Man-Made Language.

^ Stannard, Una. Mrs Man .

^ Post, Emily. Etiquette. 1922.

^ "Guide to Addressing Correspondence - The Emily Post Institute, Inc" . emilypost.com .

Mrs. ( American English ) [1] or Mrs ( British English ; [2] [3] standard English pronunciation: / ˈ m ɪ s ɪ z / MISS -iz ) is a commonly used English honorific for women , usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title (or rank), such as Doctor , Professor , President , Dame , etc. In most Commonwealth countries, a full stop (period) is usually not used with the title. In the United States and Canada a period (full stop) is usually used (see Abbreviation ). [4]

Mrs originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress (the feminine of Mister or Master ) which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women and Miss for unmarried began during the 17th century; [5] [6] the 17th century also saw the coinage of a new unmarked option
Ms with a return of this usage appearing in the 20th century.

It is rare for Mrs to be written in a non-abbreviated form, and the unabbreviated word lacks a standard spelling. In literature it may appear as missus or missis in dialogue. A variant in the works of Thomas Hardy and others is "Mis'ess", reflecting its etymology . Misses has been used but is ambiguous, as this is a commonly used plural for Miss . The plural of Mrs is from the French : Mesdames . This may be used as-is in written correspondence, or it may be abbreviated Mmes .

Mrs was most often used by a woman when married, in conjunction with her husband's first and last names (e.g., Mrs John Smith ). A widow would also be addressed with the same title as when she was married. Mrs was rarely used before a woman's first name, her birth name, or a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, Mrs Jane Smith , Mrs Miller (wife of John Smith), or Mrs Miller-Smith were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century. [7]

In several languages, the title for married women such as Madame , Señora , Signora , or Frau , is the direct feminine equivalent of the title used for men; the title for unmarried women is a diminutive: Mademoiselle , Señorita , Signorina , or Fräulein . For this reason, usage had shifted toward using the married title as the default for all women in professional usage. This had long been followed in the United Kingdom for some high-ranking household staff, such as housekeepers, cooks, and nannies , who were called Mrs as a mark of respect regardless of marital status.

In the United Kingdom, the traditional form for a divorcée was Mrs Jane Smith . [ citation needed ] In the U.S., the divorcée originally retained her full married name unless she remarried. [ citation needed ] Later, [ citation needed ] the form Mrs Miller Smith was sometimes used, with the birth surname in place of the first name. However, the form Mrs Jane Miller eventually became widely used for divorcées, even in formal correspondence; that is, Mrs preceded the divorcée's maiden name.

Before social mores relaxed to the point where single women with children were socially acceptable, the unwed mother was often advised by etiquette mavens like Emily Post to use Mrs with her maiden name to avoid scrutiny.

The separation of Miss and Mrs became problematic [ how? ] as more women entered the white-collar workforce. Women who became famous or well known in their professional circles before marriage often kept their birth names, stage names, or noms de plume . Miss became the appellation for celebrities (e.g., Miss Helen Hayes , or Miss Amelia Earhart ) but this also proved problematic, as when a married woman did use her husband’s last name but was still referred to as Miss ; see more at Ms and Miss .

It is now very uncommon for a woman to be addressed by her husband's first name; however, this still sometimes occurs if a couple is being addressed jointly, such as in Mr and Mrs John Smith .

Many married women still use the title with their spouse's last name but retaining their first name (e.g., Mrs Jane Smith ). Other married women choose not to adopt their spouse's last name at all. It is generally considered polite to address a woman by Ms rather than Mrs , unless the preference of the woman in question is clearly known. This is especially true in written communication, as dictated by professional etiquette. [8]

Modern etiquette provides various options in addressing married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as Dr , Mayor , or Ms . Etiquette writer Judith Martin ("Miss Manners") generally advises that, in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed on separate lines when writing invitations (e.g., "Dr Sue Martin/Mr John Martin").

In direct address, a woman with the title Mrs may be addressed Mrs [Lastname] , or with the stand-alone Madam or Ma'am , although the latter two are more often used for any adult woman, regardless of marital status, in modern conversation. It is normally considered correct to address a woman as Ms [Lastname] , regardless of her marital status.

A woman who has a long-term sexual relationship with a partner who is married may be referred to as that person's " mistress ".

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Whether you’re addressing someone in person or in a letter, titles are a symbol of respect. Men are always addressed as Mr., but it’s a bit more complicated for women. There are three different formal titles a woman can carry: Miss, Ms., and Mrs. Using the incorrect title for a woman can be considered rude or impolite, so if you want to avoid a serious social faux pas, it’s important to learn the differences between the three in order to use these prefixes properly.

We’ll explain everything you need to know about using formal titles, including which to write when addressing your wedding invitations.

Use the prefix Miss to address young unmarried women or girls under the age of 18. Technically, any unmarried woman can be referred to as Miss, but the title can feel a bit juvenile and immature when addressing women of a certain age, or women who’ve been divorced . It’s sticky situations like these that make Ms. the clear best choice, especially in a formal setting. For young girls under the age of 18, it’s perfectly acceptable to refer to them as Miss. If you even have to question it, go with Ms.

Ms. is the proper way to describe any woman, regardless of marital status. It’s a catch-all, neutral term that came about in the 1950s as women began to assert their desire to become known for something outside of their marriage, and took hold in the 1970s with the women’s rights movement. Ms. is pronounced mizz like quiz , not miss like kiss . It’s considered the female equivalent of Mr. and can be used in any setting to refer to an adult woman. Married women are often referred to as Ms. in a business setting where marital status isn’t known or seen as pertinent, but it’s most often used to describe young women who aren’t married since Mrs. refers to married women and Miss relies heavily on age. If you’re not sure if a woman is married, it’s safe to go with Ms.

The prefix Mrs. is used to describe any married woman. In the present day, many women decide they want to keep their last name instead of taking their husband’s . These women are still referred to as Mrs. A widowed woman is also referred to as Mrs., out of respect for her deceased husband. Some divorced women still prefer to go by Mrs., though this varies based on age and personal preference. Traditionally, this title would accompany the husband’s title, first and last name (Mr. and Mrs. John Smith), although this practice is becoming increasingly less common. Use this title of respect to address married women, or when speaking to a woman of authority to show deference.

Addressing wedding invitations is just as important as the information on the invite itself. Your guests are important to you, which is why they’ve been chosen to be invited to participate in your special ceremony. Using what you now know regarding the differences between Miss, Ms. and Mrs., address the outer and inner envelopes with the proper title.

If a woman is married, use Mrs. If you’re inviting a couple, it’s up to you if you want to refer to the names of each after their respective titles (Mr. John and Mrs. Jane Smith), or simply use both titles along with the husband’s name (Mr. and Mrs. Smith). The latter is more formal, but be cautious if you’re not sure if the woman decided to keep her name. If you’re only inviting a woman, and she’s married, use Mrs.

When inviting an unmarried adult woman , or if you’re not sure if she’s married, use Ms. When addressing an invite to an unmarried couple, write the man’s name first, followed by the woman’s (Mr. John Smith and Ms. Jane Doe).

For young girls under the age of 18, use Miss, and have her name follow the name of her parents if also invited (Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, and Miss Janet).

If you’re unsure and you don’t want to offend someone by giving her the wrong title, it’s perfectly polite to ask their preference for titles before using them in correspondence or in introductions. These titles are, after all, a symbol of respect, and taking the time to consider a woman’s wishes on how they would like to be addressed is always thought of as courteous and a display of good manners.

The gender-neutral honorific title is Mx. As with all title preferences, it's best to ask someone what their preferred pronouns are if you're unsure.

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History and etiquette tell us that Mister and Missus , known by the contractions Mr . and Mrs . , are the proper ways to address men and women. Beneath the surface of these everyday honorifics lies a linguistic glitch though. And, it has created social havoc since “Mrs.” entered mainstream English in the 17 th century.
Mister is a direct variant of master , which in turn comes from the Old English maegester meaning “one having control or authority.” Once used to address men under the rank of knighthood, by the mid-18th century mister became a common English honorific to generally address males of a higher social rank. English domestic servants often used the title for the eldest member of the household—a practice that is, for the most part, no longer in use today.
Mrs . is a contraction derived from Middle English maistresse , “female teacher, governess.” Once a title of courtesy, mistress fell into disuse around the late 14th century. The pronunciation, however, remained intact. By the 15th century, mistress evolved into a derogatory term for “a kept woman of a married man.”
By the early 17th century, Mr ., Mrs . Ms . and Miss became part of English vernacular . In an attempt to avoid the use of mistress (and its nasty connotations), a variety of phonetic substitutes have been utilized, including missus or missis .
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Watch Yair and Mara explain the differences while they explore Valencia on one of their nights out. Don’t be too jealous … flights aren’t that expensive right?
Well, you’re actually drinking tea tea .
That’s right. Chai already means “tea.”
Of course it was! The whole point of a surprise is that it’s unexpected .
No surprise here: Naan bread is delicious.
But if you order it this way, you’re really asking for bread bread .
As a bonus, we’ll leave you with this.
You really don’t have to say “added bonus.”
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Yesterday, I told my friend that I could meet her after work for a drink.
Uh, boring! Lang syne, I besought my old chum to rendezvous after work for a libation.
It’s something we do all the time. Because we live close to each other, we are able to meet up after work often to catch up.
She’s so funny and helps me feel better after a long day. She’s the best. Do you want to come too?
She’s hilarious and recharges me after a strenuous day. She’s nonpareil.
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Um, I first learned about the word schatzi when I was in high school. I had a friend who was hosting a German foreign-exchange student and this foreign-exchange student loved my friend’s dog.
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