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

Adrian Morgan wrote:

>Marcus Smith wrote, quoting myself:
>
>> >In Australia, it is AFAIK absolutely unknown for tertiary
>> >students to be on anything other than first-name basis with
>> >lecturers. This is the first time I've heard someone say
>> >that it's different elsewhere in the world. Very
>> >interesting.
>>
>> Most of my students do call me Marcus. But a few refuse to do so, even
>> after I let them know I don't like this "mister" thing. Oh well, it's
their
>> grade their jepordizing. :)
>
>To me, the interesting thing is that you've put your finger on a
>difference between Australian and American culture that I was not
>previously aware of.>
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, so
likely this is just a carry-over into college, where there is still a
tendency for students to have (grudging) respect for their teachers, even
lowly TAs :-).....Probably by senior year, and certainly in graduate
courses, its all first names, except maybe with very senior faculty.  Even
so, as I recall at Michigan, Pike's students called him Ken, but William
Gedney (in Thai linguistics, and possibly even older than Pike) was NEVER
Bill, but Prof. or Mr.
So it depends.....

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.  Probably the only facet of my
personality that can be called conservative.  End rant.