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From: colonel@gloria.UUCP (George Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.social
Subject: Re: honorifics
Message-ID: <901@gloria.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 23:02:14 EST
Article-I.D.: gloria.901
Posted: Sat Feb  9 23:02:14 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Feb-85 04:16:48 EST
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> Milord and Milady may have been good for the old Normans, but few of us
> speak Middle English any more (OR use the British class structure).  (An
> acquaintance of mine was in London and had a native push her out of the way
> to get on a bus.  "You're no gentleman," she said.  "Blimey, of course not,"
> he replied.")  Nowadays Milord/Milady sound as if the speaker is putting
> you up on a pedestal, an awkward position from which to operate effectively.
> 
> In any case, I DON'T want to receive form letters addressed "Dear Milord or
> Milady."  (And I ESPECIALLY don't want to receive letters addressed "Dear
> Milord," given I happen to be female.  I'd like an all-gender honorific.)

"Dear Milord" is presumptuous.  A more appropriate salutation would be
"May it please your Lordship."  I'm always glad to get a letter that
starts that way.
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...decvax!sunybcs!gloria!colonel