# Question for the ladies: Miss, Mrs., or Ms? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035 "2016-04-12T19:32:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/1 "2016-04-12T19:32:33Z")
Ladies, if the situation should require it, what title would you prefer? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/2 "2016-04-12T19:45:33Z")
I’m married, so Mrs., though I don’t take Ms. amiss if it makes life easier. Call me Dr., though, and I will block your email, ignore your calls, and never let you in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/3 "2016-04-12T19:47:04Z")
Ms, if I’m asked. I’m not offended by Mrs., but I much prefer not being defined by marital status. (Martial status is okay.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/4 "2016-04-12T19:48:36Z")
I thought about it, and while I don’t really care, I think we should all just go to “Ms.” We don’t bother differentiating in men’s marital status, it shouldn’t matter about women’s either. Young men are also called Mr., so call young women Ms., too, if you must. Ms./Mr. is perfect and simple. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/5 "2016-04-12T19:55:30Z")
I picked Mrs, although Ms. is also ok… I am no longer a Miss. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/6 "2016-04-12T20:54:50Z")
Definitely Ms. I used to work for a judge who insisted on asking every woman in a prospective jury pool, “Is it Miss? Or Mrs.?” The women would invariably answer either Miss, Mrs. or Ms. – which essentially indicated the women’s marital status as single, married or divorced. (Not every married woman responded Mrs., but most did, and most divorced preferred Ms.) Drove the court reporter and me nuts. We tried to explain to the judge that it would be more appropriate to just address them all as Ms. He stubbornly refused, until one day when he asked his question to a prospective juror: “Is it Miss? Or Mrs.?” and the juror replied, “It’s Mister!” Suddenly Ms. became the default in his courtroom. Small victories. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/7 "2016-04-12T22:53:23Z")
I picked “doesn’t matter”, but I’d prefer not Mrs. as I am not in fact married and never have been. I feel like I should prefer Ms., but in practice, I don’t think I mind Miss. That said, in real life, I get Miss attached to my first name more often. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/8 "2016-04-12T22:58:11Z")
At work it’s absolutely always Ms. Socially, especially with regards to my husband’s work, it’s usually Mrs., but sometimes Ms. as well, but I don’t really care too much. As I am not a child under the age of 18, nor a teacher of primary-aged children, it is never, ever Miss. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/9 "2016-04-12T22:58:58Z")
As a middle aged spinster, I prefer Ms. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/10 "2016-04-13T03:15:32Z")
I prefer “Higher life form” which you left off your poll. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/11 "2016-04-13T03:47:48Z")
I’ll take Ms if offered or Miss if not, but I frankly much prefer the ability to leave that field blank. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/12 "2016-04-13T03:57:02Z")
My whole life I’ve preferred Ms., no matter what status applied. I just turned 48 and that hasn’t wavered one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/13 "2016-04-13T06:00:36Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I thought about it, and while I don’t really care, I think we should all just go to “Ms.” We don’t bother differentiating in men’s marital status, it shouldn’t matter about women’s either. Young men are also called Mr., so call young women Ms., too, if you must. > > Ms./Mr. is perfect and simple. What she said. ^ ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/14 "2016-04-13T12:44:59Z")
Just seemed an appropriate place to observe that in my work I recently encountered an individual named - I shit you not - “Msfoxie”! If I have the opportunity, I’ll try to ascertain whether she prefers Ms. Msfoxie, or… ---
**Author:** ![BrightSunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@BrightSunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightSunshine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/15 "2016-04-13T13:03:56Z")
Half of the reason I got a PhD is to avoid the indignity of being a Mrs. Call me [FirstName] or call me Dr [LastName]. I hang up immediately on anyone who addresses me as Mrs [Last Name], not the least because I didn’t change my last name when I married so that made no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/16 "2016-04-13T13:31:23Z")
Another married woman with my own last name. Mrs. Hislastname makes little sense - but I’m fine with it in some settings (kid’s school, his work functions). Mrs. Mylastname makes no sense. Miss makes me sound twelve, I stopped being twelve a LONG time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/17 "2016-04-13T13:36:31Z")
I knew one woman whom I asked this and she said Mrs. because she had so and so many years invested in her marriage and was damn proud of it. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/18 "2016-04-13T14:50:37Z")
Since my late husband took my last name when we married, using Mrs. just seemed odd. I use Ms. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/19 "2016-04-13T15:14:08Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I knew one woman whom I asked this and she said Mrs. because she had so and so many years invested in her marriage and was damn proud of it. You know, I’ve never had a woman say that to me but I’ve had a couple men tell me that I should use “Mrs.” because I should be proud of my marriage. It seems to be more a thing men think women should feel than a thing many women actually feel. Do you feel that single women should be ashamed of being single? If not, how does it make sense for a woman to be proud for being married? ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035/20 "2016-04-13T15:43:18Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > My whole life I’ve preferred Ms., no matter what status applied. I just turned 48 and that hasn’t wavered one bit. This ^^^^^^. And I turn 48 in a few months. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-ladies-miss-mrs-or-ms/752035.md?page=2)