Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site osu-dbs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!cbosgd!osu-dbs!karl
From: karl@osu-dbs.UUCP (Karl Kleinpaste)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: M'lady vs. Ms., etc.
Message-ID: <564@osu-dbs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Apr-84 13:22:40 EST
Article-I.D.: osu-dbs.564
Posted: Fri Apr 20 13:22:40 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Apr-84 07:20:51 EST
Organization: Ohio State U., CIS Dept., Columbus
Lines: 35

----------
L  With regard to the personal-titles argument going on,
Y  I reproduce the following:
L
E      Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive
       wear.  Honorifics and politeness provide lubrication where people rub
M      together.  Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the
C      unsophisticated deplore these formalities as "empty", "meaningless", or
E      "dishonest", and scorn to use them.  No matter how "pure" their
L      motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too
H      well at best.
A
N                  -- Lazarus Long
E
Y  My opinion, too.
----------
(Side comment for those not recognizing the reference: Lazarus Long is
the main character in Robert Heinlein's *Time Enough for Love*.)

No argument, really.  As I said, I will honor another person's request for
title usage.  However, when an honorific (I think I like that term for it)
which generally denotes considerable respect is used, it should not be
immediately assumed that it is being used in a denigrating manner just be-
cause the word itself is out of fashion.  For those not considering that
"m'lady" denotes respect, remember that it was a term commonly used by
those of "lower social station" in reference to those "above themselves,"
e.g., a butler referring to the lady of the house, certainly a respectful
reference.

Some time I may just have to write a semi-flame on my feelings about the
term "lady" in general, and the respect due that fine term...
-- 
"Confusion will be my epitaph."  -- King Crimson, 1969
Karl Kleinpaste @ Bell Labs, Columbus
accessible as osu-dbs!karl, but *much* better as {cbosgd,rlgvax,ihnp4}!cbrma!kk