differences between Australia and Great Britain, go no further than the internet booking page for Qantas and that for British Airways. Where the titles on offer at Qantas are Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, those on offer at British Airways are much more varied. As well as Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, you can choose from the following:
Some people might say that the British Airways list expresses an obsession with class, rank and status. However, it might equally well be argued that it indicates a touching, if slightly wooly-headed, desire to include. At the top of the picture, by the way, under the dark oblong line, is the option 'Mstr', which at first I took to be the abbreviation for 'Mistress', but I later realised must, disappointingly, be the abbreviation for 'Master' (does anyone these days choose this option for their young male air-travelling child?).
I wonder if airport staff would demand proof if I started travelling as Viscountess - or possibly Rev. I think I'd have a hard time getting away with Rabbi, but Captain might be a goer. On the other hand, would it be worth the strife at the airport, if they did actually want me to pull out the family tiara or my army record? The whole experience of checking in is already fraught enough, possibly, without upping the ante. I'd better just stick with Sir as usual.
PS I will always be grateful to @pinknantucket and @aptronym for introducing me to the smorgasbord of title possibilities available for the small price of a purchase from boden uk; I've never much liked their products but I'll buy anything if it gives me the chance to be a Princess, a Commodore, a Professor or the Duchess of Woop Woop. You can call me Wing Commander from now on.
Viscountess Z. Just do it.
ReplyDeleteAs you will see from my post-script, I've decided to take to the skies instead. Far more exciting than knocking about in a coronet, I reckon
DeleteI did have in mind a combined career for you. No-one said anything about a diamond ceiling.
DeleteI'd worry about the coronet falling over my eyes when I was executing a tricky manoeuvre. I suppose I could leave it at home, but then how would anyone know who I was?
DeleteOnce in reviewing a quantity of data about American and Canadian businesses, I checked to see what was carried in the field given as CEO Title. I was interested to find "Exalted Leader" or some such title, and followed up. These attached to the heads of lodges of some fraternal order--I think the Moose, but it could have been Oddfellows.
ReplyDeleteBut why not rabbi? I've been introduced to a couple of women of that office. I admit that it could be embarrassing if the cabin crew asked you to lead a service en route.
That's very kind, George, and I've always wished I had some Jewish blood, given that most of the people I've really, really liked in life have been Jewish themselves, but, seriously, you've met me - do you really think I could pull it off? I've got Vikings for ancestors and sturdy British yeoman and their physical attributes just don't shout rabbi. At least that's the way it seems to me.
DeleteZ: There is what one thinks of as a Jewish look, isn't there? My stepmother, of entirely Irish descent on her father's side, and most Scotch Irish with bit of English on her mother's, has it. Or so she was assured in Israel 50 years ago, when a fellow tried to pick her up, sure that she was a Sabra of the purest descent. I don't remember that Hebrew is among the many languages she knows a bit of, but she had a hard time persuading the fellow to let go of her hand.
DeleteAnd a young Jewish woman I know (through the ESL program at my RC parish) looks like the younger sister of a neighbor, that neighbor being of pretty standard US gentile descent--German, Irish, Scots, what have you.
So you never quite can tell, that "quite" leaving an opening for the bold among us.
I think if we go any further into this discussion we will end up saying, quite inadvertently, something extremely offensive to someone or other, if we haven't already.
DeleteWe still use 'master' for our sons and nobody bats an eyelid.
ReplyDeleteI've often thought that it would be amusing to change my name to Lord (Earl and Count would just make me sound like a jazz musician), but the joke would probably wear off rather quickly.
I'm a big fan of titles - they make life more colourful - but I've always been too embarrassed to put JP after my surname in official correspondence.
If everyone in the world christened their children The Honourable and then a Christian name that would be quite nicely subversive, now I come to think of it.
DeleteWing Cmdr ZMKC
ReplyDeleteWhile clearly the BA list offers a richer range of titles, I should point out that Qantas also offers 'Dr' - a person of my close acquaintance is always referred to as 'Dr' in kind recognition of his familiarity with the evolution of Soviet nationalities policy from Lenin to Brezhnev.
Incidentally, if the Qantas experience is anything to go by, you can give yourself any title you want. The person of my acquaintance was never required to present proof of a doctorate.
Oh, I think I may know that person too.
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