Ms

[scoobysoo]

Hi,Why are some women called "Ms"? What's the criteria?

[Quizmonkey]

Ms is an attempt at having a female title which is not marked for marital status - just like Mr for males. Unfortunately it has gathered feminist and PC undertones and sometimes creates unintended impressions.

[c00ky83]

Give me plain old unpretentious Miss any day!

[simsfreq]

My mum is Ms because she is divorced

[Shipstabber]

There is no criteria - it's purely a matter of choice.  It's handy for if you keep your own name after marriage or if you are divorced, because neither Miss or Mrs are appropriate, and it's also useful for addressing women in the work environment, etc., when you don't know their marital status.

[pega]

 This seems to be a recent introduction you were either Miss or Mrs I gather it came in when divorce became prevelant, it seems to be widespread useage and one's correct title is ignored  I personally abhor it and would never use it on any correspondence I send but most of post you get seem to use it even from official people but that is the type of society we now live in  good manners and politeness has been passed by, as been said by others it creeped in and don't think we'll get rid of it unless stand up and correct its miss use.

[silly moo]

Actually Mrs is an abbreviation of Mistress and historically was the title given to all adult women , just as Mister was / is given to all adult men.
Miss and Master were used for offspring until they reached adulthood.
Not sure when all that changed, but maybe we should go back and forget the ridiculous modern term of Ms., which I hate. For a start how on earth are you supposed to say it?

[Shipstabber]

Most women who use Ms (pronounced Miz) do so out of choice. I fail to see how it is good manners to deny them that choice. 

[Peter Pedant]

silly moo is historically spot on,

and explains why George IV married a certain Mrs Fitzherbert. She was called Mrs because she was a woman of mature years.

Actually it was void at all law because Mrs FH was a Roman AND it was not done according to the Royal marriages Act....Mrd F definitely thought she was married.

[maggie01]

I often get letters addressed to Ms and I have been Mrs for years. I wouldn't mind being called miss by mistake but I hate Ms