Date:    Mon, 2 Mar 1998 17:51:44 -0500
<br>From:    Alan Baragona  baragonasa[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]VAX.VMI.EDU 
<br>Subject: A new use of Ms?
<br>
<br>Okay, this is a new one on me.  In a research report on gender in
<br>language, a female exchange student from Texas A&M who is also a native
<br>Texan wrote: "Something that is normal for my generation, such as the
<br>marital status title Ms., is not normal for my mother's generation.
<br>Until you're married, you should be identified as Miss, and if you are
<br>homosexual or divorced, you should be identified as Ms."
<br>
<br>We're on Spring Break now, so I won't be able to ask her about it until
<br>next week, but I wonder if anyone out there, especially anyone in Texas,
<br>is familiar with a usage development like this?  I've seen signs that in
<br>common usage "Ms." is simply replacing "Miss" and thus losing its
<br>initial purpose as "Mrs." has made a comeback (if it was ever really
<br>gone), but I've never seen a distinction like this one.  Is this a
<br>fantasy that this girl has concocted, or are there really groups out
<br>there who use Ms. only for gays and divorcees (no Fred Astaire pun
<br>intended)?
<br>
<br>Alan B.
<br>