Saturday, March 24, 2012

What is “Mrs.” short for?


What is “Mrs.” short for? The answer may make you blush (or at least laugh)


History and etiquette tell us that Mister and Missus, known by the contractions Mr. and Mrs., are the proper form of address for men and women.  Beneath the surface of these everyday honorifics lies a linguistic glitch that has spawned social havoc since “Mrs.” entered mainstream English in the 17th century.