Re: CHAT: "Mister" (WAS: Re: New Lang: Igassik)

Roger Mills wrote:

> I don't think there's that much difference here.  I don't think grade or
> high-school students would DREAM of using first names with an instructor,
That depends on the school, to be sure.  My daughter (age 13) has always
attended (state) schools where first names are universal, but this is
certainly not true of schools in general.

> Probably by senior year, and certainly in graduate
> courses, its all first names, except maybe with very senior faculty.
Not so when I was attending college in 1975-80; title + lastname was
universal among undergraduates, and the most usual title was "Professor".
There are rather more professors in North American colleges and universities
than elsewhere (and a multiplicity of deans to boot), but even so, not everyone
who teaches bears that title legitimately.

> Rant dept:  Sometimes we carry this firstname stuff too far.  I resent being
> addressed as Roger by bank tellers, telemarketers and others of that ilk
> with whom I have no other social interaction.
And I (age 41) feel rather uncomfortable being addressed as "Mr. Cowan" by
anybody.  Firstnaming is universal in my profession, to be sure.

--
There is / one art                   || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
no more / no less                    || http://www.reutershealth.com
to do / all things                   || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
with art- / lessness                 \\ -- Piet Hein