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Malone

Interesting that you don't like "madam", and I agree it is not the equivalent of "mister". I teach an after-school class, and the problem is how to address adults when you don't know their names. If a teacher comes in, I use "Sir" or Miss (whatever her age). This seems to be universal in schools here.

If it is a parent, I use "Sir" or "Madam". I agree with you that it does sound old-fashioned but I cant think of anything better. The Head is a woman, as was the previous one. I address her as "ma'am" in class and in one-to-one meetings. Both ladies seem happy with this.

Tyke and Jigjag, I don't think there's one single title that would work, solve the problem. Like you said, Jigjag, there are quite a few organisations that have 'presidents' and often the role itself involves very little (or nothing). I think many organisations - residents' groups, PTAs and so on - could drop the 'madam chairman', 'mister chairman' stuff and it would have no disastrous effects. Some committees, some committee members, are overfond of the grandiose aspects of their roles!

Malone

I hope that no Pedants bought any of the "goods" that were on offer on this thread for quite a long period yesterday. The bank-notes were obvious fakes, and the so called "High-Quality Counterfeit Clues" were useless homophones along the law/lore/lure lines.

You did well to report the fraud, presumably to the Trading Standards Agency.

Jigjag, yesterday's Spam looked as unappetising as its namesake. In the interests of the Forum, I reported it to NORAH

National
Organisation for
Removing
All
Harmful posts.

(Announcing the late arrival of ... Just caught up on the verses.)

Roses am red
Violets is blue
This grammar is sh*te
And it ain't scannin' too well either

I love "anti-limericks". This is my favourite

There is a young poet of Wick
Whose verse is unpleasant and sick
He distorts and deforms
All conventional norms







(I have had people attack fme or for reciting that one!)

ChrisE, your non-limerick gets 10 out of 10 - it's great.
SteveA, you get only a 9, I'm afraid. I'm not a prude (well, not a total prude) but I'm never a fan of needless swearing!

Malone
Thank you. So that's what Norah stands for. I have seen postings from the Organisation referring to spam deletion and I see now that it must be an automatic service. Yesterday's spam slipped through and you had to report it.

Boat-builder runs in to delete spam (5)

Is the Boat-builder the Chair?

Steve

Do you mean Shute? I enjoyed his books and verse.

Jigjag, thanks for your two posts - I missed the earlier one with the Sir/Miss/madam stuff. I think the 'sir' and 'miss' in schools is a very old way of doing things, but it's still incredibly useful and I can't think of anything that could replace it.

I'm a parent and if anyone in a school setting had ever called me 'Madam', I'd have felt obliged to put them straight! Unlike your Head, I'd never feel comfortable being addressed as 'Ma'am' - I think I'd have to say, 'please call me Ms (or at a pinch, Mrs) Malone.'

PS And I always prefer 'women' to 'ladies' !

NORAH is quite an unobtrusive but efficient organisation, usually working away quietly in the background.