[Ads-l] Media Inquiry (Mike Pence calling his wife "Mother")

Fri Feb 3 19:30:35 UTC 2017

> On Feb 3, 2017, at 2:14 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> I wish I could offer a precise example, but this was occasionally used in
> movies by small-town, middle-aged fathers in the '30s or ‘40s.

Right; when I wrote of midwesterners who vote for people like Mike Pence, I was probably unconsciously referencing those characters.  And remember:  twin beds!

LH
> 
> For some reason I hear the voice of Lionel Barrymore or Lewis Stone.
> 
> OTOH, the corresponding "Father" seems not to ring so loud a bell.
> 
> JL
> 
> On Fri, Feb 3, 2017 at 1:17 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
> 
>>> On Feb 3, 2017, at 12:41 PM, Margaret Winters <mewinters at WAYNE.EDU>
>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have no insight into timing, but it reminds me of adult children who
>> call their parents Grandma and Grandpa (or some variation of it) once they
>> have children of their own.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Margaret
>> 
>> But there’s also a distinction between *referring* to them as “Mom”,
>> “Dad”, “Grandma”, and “Grandpa” when addressing the children who bear that
>> relation to them and *addressing* them as “Mother”, “Father”, “Grandma”,
>> “Grandpa”, especially when the children are not “ratified overhearers”, if
>> that’s the correct term.  Context is important. When you’re in bed with
>> your spouse and address them as “Dad” or “Mom”:  that, I believe, reflects
>> a different practice.  My no doubt prejudiced impression is that if you do
>> it (viz., use these as terms of address) in the kitchen, maybe you’re from
>> the Midwest and probably you vote for people like Mike Pence.
>> 
>> LH
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----------------------------
>>> MARGARET E WINTERS
>>> Professor Emerita
>>> French and Linguistics
>>> Wayne State University
>>> Detroit, MI  48202
>>> 
>>> mewinters at wayne.edu
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
>> Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at MST.EDU>
>>> Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 12:34 PM
>>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>> Subject: Fw: Media Inquiry (Mike Pence calling his wife "Mother")
>>> 
>>> Dear members of ads-l,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I received the inquiry below (about men who call their wives "Mother").
>> Would anyone
>>> 
>>> anyone be able to provide Ms. Garau information/insight/etc. about this?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Gerald Cohen
>>> 
>>> ________________________________
>>> From: Annie Garau <annie at pbh-network.com<mailto:annie at pbh-network.com>>
>>> Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 9:51 AM
>>> To: Cohen, Gerald Leonard
>>> Subject: Fwd: Media Inquiry
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi Professor Cohen,
>>> 
>>> My name is Annie Garau and I'm an editor and writer for the site All
>> That Is Interesting.
>>> 
>>> I'm reaching out because a recent Rolling Stone article suggested that
>> Vice President Mike Pence calls his wife "mother." I know this is a trivial
>> topic in the context of an administration with such serious consequences.
>> But, the Internet is intrigued nonetheless and I'm trying to find out the
>> linguistic roots of calling your spouse "mother."
>>> 
>>> Was this ever a common use of the word? Do people in some areas still do
>> that? How does a nickname like that come to be used in a family? Does it
>> get passed down through generations?
>>> 
>>> I read about some of your work and thought you might have some insight
>> into this matter. Any relevant information you might be able to share, or
>> recommendations of other people to reach out to would be so helpful.
>>> 
>>> Thank you very much for your time!
>>> 
>>> All the Best,
>>> 
>>> Annie
>>> 
>>> 317-514-4379<tel:(317)%20514-4379>
>>> https://www.facebook.com/AllThatIsInteresting/
>>> [https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p526x296/
>> 11846786_493243797524306_3286254161016111384_n.jpg?oh=
>> 64ef20a3452c6b247412be5c478d6230&oe=591BA3E4]<https://www.facebook.com/
>> AllThatIsInteresting/>
>>> 
>>> All That Is Interesting | Facebook<https://www.facebook.
>> com/AllThatIsInteresting/>
>>> www.facebook.com
>>> All That Is Interesting. 651,529 likes · 36,257 talking about this. Your
>> curiosity knows no bounds. Neither do we.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
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