Forms of Address

[Buchmann]

SOCIAL DISTANCE [ such as the Southern use of "Sir" to put someone
in his place ] does play a part sometimes, but one misses the point entirely
by postulating that it must.  "Miss Lizzy" COULD be a title of generational
respect  or simply a differentiating title of NORMAL formality. When I
went to college in the South [ in the sixties ] I was addressed as "Mr.
SURNAME." [ I still dislike my first name being used by anyone but old
friends and family.] Anyone who understands the traditional dichotomies
tu/vous; du/Sie; tu/Usted; etc., etc., etc. should have no trouble with the
Southern use of "Miss" with an unmarried woman's first name -- it  WAS,
purely and simply, 'polite form.' "Et je dit 'vous' a ma mere!"

Jonathon Green wrote:

> I'm not sure if all of these fit the bill, but herewith a few citations of
> 'Miss --' and 'Master ---'. Like the old South, old, i.e. 19C Britain used
> the formula, usually where parents (or a sibling) are speaking to servants
> about the family's children, or servants are speaking about or to the same
> children. Chapter and verse have I not, but a trawl through Dickens might
> well come up with something (I stole this one from the OED).
>
> c.1790 'Creoles of Jamaica' (in Holloway & Black, vol. ii, 1979) 172: We
> should chance to fall sick, / There's Miss Nancy and Quacks to attend us.
> 1842 Egan, 'Miss Dolly Trull' (in Farmer, 1896) 143: Just twig Miss Dolly at
> a hop - / She tries to come the graces!
> 1849 Dickens David Copperpeield. iii, Wait a bit, Master Davy, and I'll-I'll
> tell you something.
> 1858 A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold 269:  Master Billy, who was
> commissariat-general company, ordered a jug of what he termed 'hot flannel'
> for three - a mixture of gin, beer, and eggs - which he declared wrapped
> round a fellow like wool, and made him sleep like opium.
> 1889 John Strange Winter, That Imp 10:  'Miss Aurora,' he said suddenly, one
> evening after dinner, 'It's awfully dull at Drive now; does it never strike
> you so?' 'Very often, my dear,' answered Miss Aurora promptly. 'It's as dull
> as - ' 'Ditch-water,' supplied the Driver, finding she paused for a word
> that would express dulness enough. 'I wonder you and Betty don't die of the
> blues.'
> 1900 The Marvel 12 Dec. 11: Now, slippy, Master Jack.
> 1900 Boys Of The Empire 23 Oct. 34: And I'll help 'ee, Master Jack, I'm
> blamed if I don't.
> 1922 James Joyce, Ulysses 503:  You will dance attendance or I'll lecture
> you on your misdeeds, Miss Ruby, and spank your bare bot right well, miss,
> with the hairbrush.
> 1922 James Joyce, Ulysses 340:  The twins were now playing in the most
> approved brotherly fashion, till at last Master Jacky who was really as bold
> as brass [...] deliberately kicked the ball as hard as ever he could down
> towards the seaweedy rocks.
>
> The Southern use has been reversed in 20C by Black use, in which Miss Ann
> (and during the Carter presidency, Miss Amy and Miss Lillian) used the old
> style in a generic and derogatory way.
>
> 1926 Van Vechten, Nigger Heaven 280: Look at Buddie wid Miss Annie ... Dat
> ain' Miss Annie, dat's kinkout.
> 1977 Smitherman, Talkin and Testifyin n.p.: While Miss Ann, also just plain
> Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied
> to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann
> 1980 Folb, Runnin' Down Some Lines 209: Miss Lillian and Amy have taken
> their place alongside Miss Ann as expressions for a white female.
>
> Finally the homophobic use, which dates to early 19C.
> 1989 Rawson, Dict. of Invective (1991) 252: Nancy, a rhyme on fancy, and
> usually reserved for effeminate men or outright catamites, as in Miss Nancy
> or nancy-boy.
>
> Jonathon Green