So Ms now means you used to be married....

[ruty]

www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2114498,00.html

I have this problem at the moment, just applied for CRB check. My passport still has my maiden name [how's that for a sexist adjective] so I asked to be called Ms on the form. They've put me as Mrs [insert Maiden name] because I'm married. In the CRB's eyes, Ms means you used to be married and now are not.
Maybe people don't care about this anymore, but I feel pretty strongly that it should be a woman's right to have a title that has no bearing on her attachment to a man, just like Mr. anyone else care?

Agree with you entirely. So do lots of other people, but [gazes into crystal ball] UnquietDad will probably be on here soon to disagree...

I always thought that Ms meant you were divorced, but knew it didn't always MEAN that IYKWIM

i.e. thats what is supposed to mean, but women choose to use it

you should be allowed to call yourself whatever you want!

from Reverend MamaG

I agree, I used to be married, got divorced, and chose to go back to Miss Maiden Name afterwards, the number of people who shot me down for it was unbelieveable. Surely as long as you are not trying to defraud anyone, you can call yourself what you like?

I always use Ms as I don't think my marital status is relevant

agree with you ruty.

i wonder if you can still get Ms London magazine

I use Ms, but of my group of friends I am the only one who does (we are in early twenties) - most people think I am wierd for doing it! But I agree with noddlyholder that my marital status just isn't relevant to most people, and I don't want to be identified by my husband or lack thereof.

I've never thought of it like that before, and I see your point.

I have always thought that it meant you were divorced but I find it disgusting.

Does anyone else find it a bit Jane Austen? Like you have to be identified as "damaged goods" or something and if you use the title Miss you are somehow deceiving people about your purity or other such bullshit!

but Ms, according to that article [and this is what i recall too] was invented by the feminist movement to allow women to have a title which is not defined by their lack of or attachment to a man. But now the CRB is saying that the 'legal' definition of Ms is a woman who used to be married, so again they are defining a woman in terms of her attachment [though broken] to a man! So the term has been hijacked. Does anyone know if that is really the legal definition? Because i am going to complain to the CRB if it is not.

No, Ms means what it has always meant, an equivalent to Mr., a title where marital status is not stated.

so the CRB are full of sh*t then. Hmm. See how far i get in complaining [ie not very]

Wow ruty. I really, really hope you complain. Is there anything on a website etc that says this is what they think Ms means? Legal definition my aunt Fanny, frankly.

I guess the program is American and perhaps they use Ms to mean divorced over there??

it would be a bit of a first to start using American law in the UK, even if that were the case.

Yes. You can call yourself Mrs/Mr/Ms/Mater whatever. No a law about it.

Master!

Quite like Mater

Can't believe that any American woman would put up with being told that her title meant something other than what SHE wanted it to mean.

What business is it of the CRB if you are divorced anyway? Surely if you are divorced with no new relationship you are in fact single. That is really only your business.

so there is a generation of 20 somethings skipping about clutching their 'hope chests' (whatever the hell they are) calling themselves miss and longing for the day they can be mrs. bloody hell.

think i shall be called wing commander from now on.

until I read that article, I'd never thought of Mrs = Mr's!

personally I'm a Ms, because Miss sounds so, well, young.

And because I kept my maiden name which is apparently quaintly old fashioned these days!

I prefer just Hathor. I was not born with a title.

I'm not divorced or separated but i have always gone by my 'maiden' [bleurgh] name, hence me getting called Mrs *** - the name belonging to my mother.

I think Men should be called 'Master' until they earn the right to be called 'Mr' when they marry, personally.

And they need another title for when they are divorced.

Lets remember 'maiden' means 'virgin'.