When You're This Big, They Call You Mister
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, this is Jeff Devine, audio engineer for the Apostrophe Podcast Network, and this is Margot.
Hello.
And you're listening to the Apostrophe Podcast Network. Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Welcome back to Gloves Off Season 2, eight brand new episodes about the threat to Canada's sovereignty and how middle powers can thrive in the new world disorder. I'm Stephen Marsh. Last season, the show was about surviving. Since then, Canada has emerged as a prominent global force. And that's why the question this season is what cards do we hold and how do we win? The Gloves come off on Canada Day, July 1st. Get it wherever you get your podcasts and watch on YouTube.
What are honorifics and why did Terry O'Reilly start this episode with 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'?
This is an apostrophe podcast production.
You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly.
I received a letter the other day addressed to Mr. Terry O'Reilly. There was nothing unusual about it, except I suddenly wondered where that word came from, the word Mr., which was abbreviated to MR. It's one of those words we see and hear a lot, and their origins are interesting. They're called honorifics. Honorifics are titles that refer to a person in a formal or respectful manner. The word Mr. comes from old 15th century English usage to distinguish the head of a household. For example, the patriarch of a family would be named Mr. Johnson. His sons would be referred to as Mr. Jed Johnson and Mr. George Johnson. Sometimes the word Mr. was combined with other high titles like Mr. Prime Minister or Mr. Speaker.
But the feminine version of that was rarely Mrs., but rather Madam Prime Minister or Madam Speaker. Which brings us to the honorific title of Mrs. The title of Mrs., spelled M-R-S period, was a contraction of the word Mistress. It was used historically for both married and unmarried women. Then in the 1600s, a distinction was made using Mrs. for married women and Miss for single women. Note the abbreviated word MRS period is rarely spelled out in full, and there seems to be no standard spelling, either M-I-S-S-U-S or M-I-S-S-I-S, which leads to the question, why is there an R in MRS period if it comes from the word Mrs.? Well, that's because both Mrs. and Miss are rooted in the word mistress, which, back in the day, was a title given to women who had authority, control, or power.
How did the title 'Mrs.' evolve from 'mistress' and when did 'Miss' and 'Mrs.' become distinct?
Think headmistress of a school. Then, sometime in the 15th century, the word mistress began to be used in a romantic context to refer to a man's beloved or sweetheart. Then, in the 17th century, the word mistress became problematic. It then referred to a woman who had a, quote, continuing extramarital sexual relationship with a man who provides her with financial support. Interestingly, and not surprisingly, there is no male counterpart word for mistress. A man having an affair is simply called a man. Now we come to the honorific title of Ms., spelled M-S, period. While we think of it as a term born of the 1970s women's lib movement, it can be traced back to England in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Like Mrs. and Miss, it too is a derivation of the word mistress. The earliest known modern revival of the term Ms. was in 1901, when a publication in Massachusetts made the case that a title for a woman shouldn't rely on that woman's domestic situation. It said referring to a single woman as Mrs. was incorrect, and addressing an older married woman as Ms. seemed awkward. So it suggested the honorific title of Ms., Decades later, in 1969, Gloria Steinem was listening to a radio interview with a feminist who suggested the title Ms. should be used by women. Steinem, who was preparing to launch a feminist magazine, adopted the word as the publication's title. From that point on, Ms. was widely used. Even in an era of gender-neutral terms, honorifics can still be found to this day to signal gender, marital status, or professional qualifications.
There are some time-honored honorifics in the world of marketing, too. Brand names that were created to give products a sense of respect and authority. Using titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, or Colonel, these products have survived the test of time.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:54
2
What are honorifics and why did Terry O'Reilly start this episode with 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'?
0:54–3:49
3
How did the title 'Mrs.' evolve from 'mistress' and when did 'Miss' and 'Mrs.' become distinct?
3:49–8:14
4
When did 'Ms.' emerge and how did Gloria Steinem popularize it?
8:14–10:56
5
Why do brands use honorifics like Mr., Mrs., Captain or Doctor in product names?
10:56–16:13
6
How did Mr. Softee use naming and a jingle to become a dominant ice cream truck brand?
16:13–27:42
7
What is the origin story of Mr. Submarine and how did it claim the sandwich category?
27:42–28:24