Miss

For other uses, see MISS (disambiguation).

Miss (pronounced /ˈmɪs/) is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman (not entitled to a higher title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"). Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction. Its counterparts are Mrs., usually used only for married women, and Ms., which may be used regardless of marital status.

The plural Misses may be used, such as in The Misses Doe. The traditional French "Mesdemoiselles" (abbreviation "Mlles") may also be used as the plural in English language conversation or correspondence.

Use as a title (honorific)

The usage of "Miss" as a title in the United States is most frequently seen when referring to girls under eighteen.^[1] Though Miss is less commonly used as a title by adult women in the United States than in the past, some still prefer to be referred to as such. Twenty-first century etiquette honors an adult woman's personal preference of title. However, if the preference is not known, "Ms." is used. "Ms." is becoming the preferred choice as this female title is considered non-sexist, and is the equivalent to the male title "Mr." as neither specifies marital status.

Miss was formerly the default title for businesswomen, but has largely been replaced by Ms. in this context. It was, and to some extent remains, a default title for actresses (Miss Helen Hayes, Miss Barbara Stanwyck) or other celebrities (Miss Amelia Earhart). Such default usage has also proved problematic; the poet Dorothy Parker was often referred to as Miss Parker, even though Parker was the name of her first husband and she herself preferred Mrs. Parker. Later in the century, the use of "Miss" or "Mrs." became a problem for The New York Times in referring to political candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a married woman who did not use her husband's surname, since Mrs. has been used with a woman's maiden name only in limited circumstances in public life before the 1980s. (See more at Mrs.) More recently, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was referred to as Miss rather than Mrs. Clark retained her maiden name after marriage.

Use alone as a form of address

"Miss" is the proper form for addressing all young ladies. It is sometimes used for younger adult woman, for example, "May I help you, Miss?" In the United States, "Ma'am" is more common for all adult women regardless of marital status, as it may be taken as patronizing, and it is presumptive to assume marital status based solely on apparent age. "Miss" alone is often used by schoolchildren in Britain and other Commonwealth countries to address female teachers regardless of marital status.

Other uses

In some American subcultures, such as the American South and some urban cultures, Miss is sometimes used irrespective of marital status with a woman's first name in direct or indirect informal address, as Miss Ellen from Gone with the Wind or Miss Ellie from Dallas. This form was also used in upper class households in some English-speaking countries by servants to address or refer to the unmarried ladies of the household, and occasionally in family-run businesses in the same manner, though more commonly it was used to address servants if they were addressed by title at all. This is also common with female child-care givers, small children will refer to their preschool teacher or nanny as "Miss" and their first name, regardless of marital status.

In some styles of etiquette^[which?], the eldest daughter of a family was addressed on paper simply as Miss Doe, with the younger daughters being addressed as Miss Jane Doe and Miss Rebecca Doe. In person, as in when making introductions, the styling would have been extended to unmarried cousins with the same surname.

Another notable use of Miss is as the title of a beauty queen (given that in most pageants it is a requirement that contestants be unmarried), such as Miss America, Miss World, and Miss Universe. Other languages, such as French, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Portuguese, have borrowed the English Miss to refer to the winner of a beauty pageant.

References

1. ^ "Guide to Addressing Correspondence". Emily Post Etipedia. http://www.emilypost.com/everyday/forms_of_address.htm. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 

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