Why are there so many titles for women but only one for men?

Exotic, If you met another woman in a professional setting, say a would-be governor, and you later had to write her a formal letter about the meeting, how would you address her (Dear What?) if you hadn't been told her preferred title?

I would use Ms then and I would always use Ms unless I had some further piece of information (eg she introduced herself as Mrs X or it came up in conversation that she had a PhD etc).

I never put master or miss for children- I just put both their names on the envelope.

My DH is a Dr but my mum was incredibly confused when he became a consultant as she thought he was going to revert to Mr - we had a very long conversation about how although he does invasive procedures (pacemakers etc) that it's not technically surgery so he's still a dr (I ended up confused at the end of the conversation with my elderly mum)
I nearly always get professional post sent to Mr Wonkylegs as they always assume that I'm a bloke as I'm an architect despite having a distinctly feminine first name.
We refer to DS as Master

I hardly ever use it anyway, now that I am not in the classroom.
It is just polite to use whatever people choose themselves which is why they should have the choice. My mother is very elderly, she wouldn't want strangers calling her by her first name uninvited and it would be very rude to default to Ms when she has always been Mrs - not to say upsetting for her.
It is trivial- just choose for yourself and live and let live. Women always make their choice and want to choose for everyone in that their choice is the 'right' choice instead of merely the 'right choice for them'.

I can't understand why the marital status matters- it is as if there is shame at 'being left on the shelf'! If I was 40, 60, 80 etc I would be quite happy with Miss - it at least has a vowel. In a way it sounds more distinguished.

Exotic, the point is that men have the same title regardless of marital status whereas Miss/Mrs is all about marital status. If Mrs was the title for adult female (as with Madame or Frau, I think), there would be no issue with it.

I know plenty of women who use Ms, though I agree none of them are teachers.

I think if you can say 'fizz' then you're close enough to being able to pronounce 'Ms'. Of course if you have a speech impediment which prevents this, then I apologise.

I can never pronounce it properly, children can't either which is probably why the majority of teachers, TAs never use it- it would drive you demented. They tend to call everyone Miss anyway! I have had 3 children through school and been a supply teacher in many, many schools and I could certainly count the number of teachers called Ms on both hands. It only seems to on MN that people are attached to Ms. I can't see why marital status matters - is Mrs supposed to be superior?

I feel truly united with DH even though he kept his own name when we got married.

At least no one goes by "Goodwife X" any more... I teach so obviously all the kids just call me "Miss" (not Miss EvilTwins, just Miss) so I find it odd when they have to email me work or whatever and start the correspondence "Hi Mrs" (not Mrs EvilTwins, just Mrs). One title for all would be so much easier...

or did he go by master until you got married?

is your dh any less "united " for still being Mr?

But why do you hate Ms exoticfruits? Why is it any more awful than mr/miss/mrs?

And that's lovely Phyllis. Have an equally lovely 1950s pat on the head

I love being Mrs xx. Makes me feel that DH and I are truly united (ie "as one"). I couldn't wait to change my name when we got married.

Mx is gender neutral. Use that.

DD is too young to have had to fill out a title for her but I would use Ms. I can't help but find miss outdated and a bit silly. I have used Ms since I was a teenager at least

Yes, some consultant surgeons get quite shirty if you call them "doctor" because in surgery it denotes a junior member of staff.

A few years ago I called a Harley Street consultant for an appointment.
Me: Hello, is that Dr Bloggs' office?
Receptionist: This is PROFESSOR Bloggs' office!

OK then. Sorry to have offended the good doctor.

Actually on our labour and delivery unit we call all the consultants by their first names. It's only the very most senior (and the most pompous!) who insist on titles.

WhatKatyDidnt, for your daughters - who I presume are children? - I would use Miss. This is because I still see Master for boys and I think it's the equivalent (and why it is not really appropriate for women).

I'm married and use Ms, just as I did when I was unmarried.

For those of you who have daughters - do you put them down as Ms on forms? I have been using Miss for mine... I'm not sure why.

I always feel like cheering when someone calls me Ms unprompted, it is rare and people nearly always assume and say Mrs. I try and avoid titles as much as possible though.

It's a minefield!

I'm unmarried, and am quite happy to be addressed as Miss Frettchen, have never had any issues with that. My best female friend, however, is married and, I believe, would prefer to be called Ms Husband'sSurname, although she occasionally says she wishes she had kept her maiden name. I have no issues with calling her Ms rather than Mrs, nor do I have any right to. A person's name is their name and their own business to be comfortable with.

To be perfectly honest, if abovementioned female best friend announced she and her husband were both changing their name to be Mx Combined-Surnames-Into-One-New-Surname then, aside from not knowing how to pronouce 'Mx', I'd refer to them as instructed.

Anyway, it's only ever sales people who call me by title; regular folk can use my forename and be done with formality!

It is very tricky though because elderly people do not want to be called by their first name and they don't (on the whole) want Ms. Therefore you have to have a choice to suit all.
I avoid any title if at all possible-but will always correct if Ms because I hate it. I can't see that it matters-call people what they wish to be called.

I really have to bite my tongue when I'm filling in a form in a shop or over the phone and they ask 'is that Miss or Mrs'. I desperately want to bark at them 'what does it matter FGS??? It's an anachronism that should have died out with black and white telly '

But I don't. I do the Lady Bracknell 'neither' instead

HairyHandedTrucker

I should have clarified above the US South.

HairyHandedTrucker

I am indeed a native Southerner still living in the South, but I have lived in Scotland in the past. My nickname comes from my (largely unsuccessful) efforts to promote the correct pronunciation among my friends and family in the States.

Or do are you a UK southerner livin in the states and I misread that totally?