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Madame or Mademoiselle?

Madame or Mademoiselle?

Old May 6, 2017, 5:50 pm
  #46  
 
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Félicitations pour un bon voyage conclu !
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Old Jun 4, 2017, 11:54 pm
  #47  
 
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I read through this thread and saw that two "anomalies" have not been mentioned.

Nuns, if you are not religious and do not want to call them "ma soeur," are always addressed as "Madame."

Actresses, even if they are 90 years old and have been married 5 times, are always "Mademoiselle."
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 2:15 am
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by stimpy
I read an article a couple years ago about how single women are pushing for a change in a law or policy because they must be referred to as mademoiselle by banks and government institutions no matter what their age.
The idea here is that women see the use of Mademoiselle / Madame as unfair discrimation: women are adressed differently if they are unmarried or married, while men are adressed in the same way. The goal is to use a term that is 'marriage-neutral' and not sexist.
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Old Jul 19, 2017, 4:52 am
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Originally Posted by ltfly
The idea here is that women see the use of Mademoiselle / Madame as unfair discrimation: women are adressed differently if they are unmarried or married, while men are adressed in the same way. The goal is to use a term that is 'marriage-neutral' and not sexist.
Possibly looking for a problem that doesn´t exist. Widely, adult females are referred to as madame. It has nothing to do with marriage status.
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Old Jul 20, 2017, 12:48 am
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Originally Posted by Tamino
Possibly looking for a problem that doesn´t exist. Widely, adult females are referred to as madame. It has nothing to do with marriage status.
You still have a large majority of forms where females need to choose between 'Mademoiselle' and 'Madame', though, so women are still required to indicate if they are married or not.
Now it is true that the usual form of address is Madame, when you speak to someone.
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Old Jul 20, 2017, 10:02 am
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Originally Posted by Tamino
Widely, adult females are referred to as madame. It has nothing to do with marriage status.
I'm an unmarried middle-aged woman and am always addressed as Madame. I think if someone called me Mademoiselle, I'd laugh.
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Old Jul 20, 2017, 1:17 pm
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Originally Posted by ltfly
You still have a large majority of forms where females need to choose between 'Mademoiselle' and 'Madame', though, so women are still required to indicate if they are married or not.
Now it is true that the usual form of address is Madame, when you speak to someone.
Sorry but I fail to see that choosing between mademoiselle or madame on a form indicates anything other than your personal preference of address. That is not the same as a form requiring your response to being single or married.
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Old Jul 21, 2017, 4:44 am
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Originally Posted by Tamino
Sorry but I fail to see that choosing between mademoiselle or madame on a form indicates anything other than your personal preference of address. That is not the same as a form requiring your response to being single or married.
Wouldn't women choose according to their age and marital status?
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Old Jul 25, 2017, 10:00 pm
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I am French and always say Madame.
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Old Aug 8, 2017, 10:58 pm
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I remember when boys were addressed as Master when they had not yet reached the age of being Mister.
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Old Aug 9, 2017, 4:48 pm
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Originally Posted by kerouac2
I remember when boys were addressed as Master when they had not yet reached the age of being Mister.
In an etiquette book my mother had it said boys are "Master" until age 7. It does seem odd to think of addressing a 9 or 10 year old boy as "Mister" but not odd to address a 9 or 10 year girl as "Miss".

And to go utterly OT from the etiquette of address, could one of the French speakers here tell me how one would say "Get lost!" in French? I'm a writer working on a project set in Paris and I think Google translate's suggestion is failing to catch the nuances of what I need: think hoodlum telling someone annoying him to scram.
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Old Aug 9, 2017, 5:34 pm
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Originally Posted by CDTraveler
And to go utterly OT from the etiquette of address, could one of the French speakers here tell me how one would say "Get lost!" in French? I'm a writer working on a project set in Paris and I think Google translate's suggestion is failing to catch the nuances of what I need: think hoodlum telling someone annoying him to scram.
Say Laissez-moi tranquille ! if you're by yourself or Laissez-nous tranquille ! if you're in a group. It means "Leave me/us alone!"
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Old Aug 9, 2017, 7:24 pm
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Originally Posted by ajGoes
Say Laissez-moi tranquille ! if you're by yourself or Laissez-nous tranquille ! if you're in a group. It means "Leave me/us alone!"
That seems rather polite. Is there a ruder way to say it?
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Old Aug 9, 2017, 7:53 pm
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I'm afraid I replied without having under your whole question. My phrase really isn't very polite, but if you switch to tu it would be less so - especially if the character is talking to someone who normally merits a vous. That would be Laisse-moi/nous tranquille !
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Old Aug 9, 2017, 8:25 pm
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Originally Posted by CDTraveler
That seems rather polite. Is there a ruder way to say it?
Casse-toi, pauv' con ! Pardon me, that wasn't directed towards you. It means "Beat it, jerk!"
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