GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

26-11-2005, 01:04 PM posted to rec.gardens.orchids

In article zwUhf.614$tg3.509@trnddc02,
says...
Kenni,

Oh, I really don't think that these are "joking pleasantries" at least the
people I have met in European countries (especially Austria) who would thus
misapply the title to the spouse were quite serious people and not jokingat
the time -- I think in some European countries, among some people or some
classes, the importance attached to titles in an informal way as a social
status symbol is quite astounding to those who have not encountered it
before, and this is something that is very different than in the U.S..
However you are right that "Mrs. Professor" would definitely not include
this on her resume, indeed a woman thus addressed would be unlikely to talk
about herself in a similar fashion (unless _she_ was joking). And I think
such titles are not applied to sisters, just to spouses most of the time --
but as the ridiculous but true example of the 3-year old addressed as
Professor shows, there are times when the titles are misapplied further
beyond the spouse, but I think that is fairly rare, whereas the
misapplication of titles to spouse is fairly common.

Joanna

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
Joanna: I think/hope that the usages you mention are just joking
pleasantries, and that "Mrs. Professor" wouldn't include her husband's
degree if she were to prepare something like a resume or job application
for
herself, to publish or to submit to a potential employer.

Also, in the example, Betty was Albert's sister, not child or spouse.
Although I'm not sure that would make a difference in the conversations
you
describe. Kenni
This is a practice I hate here in Europe. When our village got its first
woman elected as mayor this year - an event in which I was not just a
bystander - I addressed her husband jokingly as Herr Bürgermeister. His
shock was evident as he replied, "No, no! My wife was elected!" But the
"proper" title for a mayor's wife here is "Frau Bürgermeister"!!!
Frau Doktor is said to spouses of doctors, even those who have a non-
medical doctorate, and Frau Professor to wives of teachers, though the
male counterpart, as above, is still unusual.
--
Reka

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