"Obsolete," but still in use

[Clai Rice]

Here in Lafayette, LA, people like to use the honorific with the first
name without regard to gender, so I am regularly referred to as either
Mr. Clai or Dr. Clai, and my wife is usually Miss Lydia, and has
recently graduated to Dr. Lydia.  Our (Episcopal) priest, Morgan Allen,
is Rev. Morgan or Fr. Morgan, and my dentist is Dr. Bill. My students
agree that Mr. or Miss. with the first name is normal and respectful
usage, and most think that both uses are peculiarly Cajun.

Clai Rice

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bethany K. Dumas [mailto:dumasb at UTKUX.UTCC.UTK.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 6:50 PM
> Subject: Re: "Obsolete," but still in use
>
>
> On Wed, 20 Sep 2006, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >I bleeve y'all done missed a impawtant change. Nowadays, it doesn't
> >matter, at least in my experience and what I hear from relatives,
> >whether the woman or the speaker be black or white. Innih
> ladih be cawl
> >"Miss [First name]" by innihbidih ales. Nothing's perfect
> anywhere, of
> >course, but I like to give credit where credit is due: 2006 is not
> >1946.
>
> D'accord. When I taught at Southern University (off and on
> 1967-1972), I was first known by staff (yes, they were all
> black - I was one of about four whites on campus) as "Miss
> Bethany." I finished my Ph.D. while living abroad, then
> returned to teach at Southern 1971-72. I wondered how I would
> be addressed - there were not a lot of Ph.D.s at SU then.
>
> I should have been able to figure it out - I became "Doctor Bethany."
>
> Bethany
>

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