Pet hate - being asked for a title

Noctu

securityguy wrote: »

The "what's a real doctor?" argument is always good for a spat. In principle, you're only entitled to the title "Dr" if you hold a doctorate, and if you don't, it's just a courtesy title. Medical doctors often go on to do doctorates, but a qualified physician holds an MBChB (or their medical school's equivalent), that is, two first degrees, plus their MRCP and so on professional qualifications. Doctors (and dentists) call themselves Doctor, but it's easier in countries like Germany where there are separate titles for the two concepts (Doktor and Arzt).

Unfortunately, when people with PhDs assert this people accuse them of snobbery, while physicians who complain that it's confusing that Dr Brian Cox can't set broken legs are accused of being chippy. It's not about demand: you can get an MBChB in five years from A Levels, whereas it'll usually take at least 7 to get a PhD, more commonly 8, and the theoretical minimum is 6. And the failure rate on PhDs is way higher, too, although for different reasons.

But I stay out of these arguments now, as aged 51 I'm a newly minted Doctor.

Perfect summary. Also - congratulations Dr securityguy :beer:

Dill

NBLondon wrote: »

But seriously - there's also the problem that there are people who claim the title Dr with even more spurious grounds. For example, Gillian McKeith (or to give her the correct medical title Ms Gillian McKeith.) That being a joke I have shamelessly stolen from Dr Ben Goldacre (who is technically three times a doctor - MB plus two DSc).

While I can't stand Ben Goldacre, he did have a point regarding that woman! I think she did have to stop using the title Dr after some negative publicity, and now (thankfully) seems to have disappeared into obscurity, having, no doubt, made her £millions.

securityguy

"Could be worse - imagine Dr Jeremy Clarkson treating you...Yes - he is, an honorary one in engineering)."

An honorary doctorate normally doesn't entitle you to use the title, although some people do. If you did it in the UK it would be something of a solecism, to put it mildly.

mariposa687

Being asked for a title doesn't bother me but being called 'madam' by people in shops etc does - it makes me feel old and I'm not even 30 yet! Maybe I need to get a better eye cream lol

meritaten

My DIL is legally 'Lady' by title - but she just uses 'Mrs'! What on earth is the 'hang up' about titles?

meritaten

mariposa687 wrote: »

Being asked for a title doesn't bother me but being called 'madam' by people in shops etc does - it makes me feel old and I'm not even 30 yet! Maybe I need to get a better eye cream lol

I hate it too...........but that's because to me a 'madam' is the woman who runs a brothel!

Call me 'love' or 'ms' or 'mrs' - I don't mind.

onlyroz

Well that's half hour of my life I won't get back...

For the record, I have a PhD but prefer to go by "Mrs" unless I'm submitting job applications.

I particularly hate being addressed by my first name by people who don't know me - mainly because my mother cursed me with a stupid childish name.

However at work we all call each other by our first names, which I think is fine (unless you're one of the plethora of people called Peter, in which case the surname is required as well). I've been on email support for the last week and it amuses me that virtually all emails start with "Hi", and no attempt at a formal introduction. Unless they come from the Hong Kong office that is...

coolcait

onlyroz wrote: »

...
I've been on email support for the last week and it amuses me that virtually all emails start with "Hi", and no attempt at a formal introduction. Unless they come from the Hong Kong office that is...

Emails do tend to be more informal than letters. Or forms.

At work we receive a large number of more formal emails from 'professional partners' (translation: other business organisations we happen to deal with )

What I find interesting is the way those emails have evolved in a very short space of time.

It's not that long ago that we would receive emails addressed to 'Dear Sir/Madam' and signed 'Yours faithfully'.

Or emails addressed to 'Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs x' - never 'Miss' for some reason - and signed 'Yours sincerely'.

We also had a few emails addressed to 'Dear FirstName LastName', signed 'Yours sincerely'.

For the past year or so - and maybe earlier, but I didn't notice :rotfl: - those emails start 'Good morning/Good afternoon' and end 'Regards/Kind regards/Warm regards'.

Maybe it's the email equivalent of that real-life moment when you can't remember a person's name, or you're not sure how they like to be addressed - so you resolutely avoid addressing them as anything other than 'Um'!

It also helps avoid the "Is it 'sincerely' or 'faithfully'?" dilemma.

NBLondon

coolcait wrote: »

For the past year or so - and maybe earlier, but I didn't notice :rotfl: - those emails start 'Good morning/Good afternoon' and end 'Regards/Kind regards/Warm regards'.

That's the norm in my workplace.


If sending an e-mail to an organisation rather than an individual - or a shared inbox like [EMAIL="help@wotsits.com"]help@wotsits.com[/EMAIL] the traditional approach would be "Dear Sirs" - which annoys some female recipients. So I would definitely use "Good Morning/Afternoon".


If you're sending an e-mail to a person you don't know personally - and the e-mail address isn't always a guide to gender [EMAIL="jbloggs@wotsits.com"]jbloggs@wotsits.com[/EMAIL] then you need a non-specific opening. I personally think "Dear J Bloggs" is a bit clumsy. Of course, if you're replying - you go with whatever their e-mail signature says.


As I remember - there's no dilemma in signing off - I was taught you should only sign "Yours sincerely" if you are addressing an individual that you actually know/have met/ regularly correspond with and otherwise, "Yours faithfully". "Regards" and variations are modern business practice. I substitute "Thanks" or "Many Thanks" or "Thanks in advance" when I'm actually asking for something.

pollypenny

I really don't care whether I'm called Mrs, Ms or Miss.

I'm used to being called 'Miss' in school and still when I meet ex-pupils. The funny thing is that kids would often call teachers with the 'wrong' title.

Eg Mrs Jane jones when it's a single teacher and Miss Liz Jones, the old married woman. No idea why, but it was more common when the had the same surnames and first names were used to distinguish.

I don't like 'madam', either. The American 'ma'am' is nice, though.