using 'Miss'

[Kristin]

Carole Wrote:

There it seemed to be customary for kids to call grownups Mr. 
Firstname and Miss Firstname whether the Miss was married or not.  
For example, our very good friends' children would call my husband 
and me, Mr. Randy and Miss Carole (respectively.)  My kids called all 
their preschool teachers Miss _____ (it was Miss Angie at the time) 
and they called our friends Mr. Greg and Miss Lisa (even though they 
were Mr. and Mrs.) They don't do that here in Massachusetts.  Things 
are much more formal here. Down there it seemed to be a way to add 
respect to the casual prectice of using first names rather than last 
names.

> So in this instance calling an older woman Miss Pamela would be the 
> childs way of adding respect to an address rather than 
> disrespecting.  An adult should use the proper title however...


I've noticed that this practice seems to be a Southern and Western 
colloquialism. I grew up, and still live, in New Mexico and most of 
my friends say Miss Pamela or Mr. Tom even as adults. However we only 
say Miss Pamela or Mr. Tom if we know the person otherwise it's the 
more formal Mr. or Mrs. Smith. To my best friend's children I'm Miss 
Kristin.

My dad and his family all come from the South(Mississippi or 
Louisiana)and they say Miss or Mr. as well.  However I have friends 
that come from the Midwest or Northeast and like you said they tend 
to be more formal and don't understand why we are so informal. Of 
course they don't get why most of us(here)drive pick-ups or SUV's 
either.  

Cheers,
       Kristin