Modern Usage
It is now very uncommon for a woman to be addressed using her husband's first name, although this still sometimes occurs if a couple is being addressed jointly, such as in Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.
Many married women still use the title with their husband's last name, but retaining their first name, Mrs. Jane Smith, while many have eschewed the title completely in professional life, utilizing Ms.. Any choice of title, first, and last name is considered acceptable both socially and professionally today.
Modern etiquette provides various options in addressing married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as Dr. or Mayor. Etiquette writer Judith Martin (Miss Manners) generally advises in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed in separate lines on invitations (Dr. Sue Martin/Mr. John Martin).
In direct address, a woman with the title Mrs. may be addressed Mrs. , or with the stand alone Madam or Ma'am, though these are most often used for all adult women regardless of marital status in modern conversation.
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Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or usage:
“It is obvious that rationality has been utterly lost in modern marriage: which is no objection to marriage, however, but rather to modernity.”
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