‘Mademoiselle’ Exits Official France

[Swede]

PARIS — With nary a kiss to the hand nor tears of parting, the French government this week bids adieu to “Mademoiselle.”

In a memo addressed to state administrators across France, Prime Minister François Fillon ordered the honorific — akin to “damsel” and the equivalent of “miss” — banished from official forms and registries. The use of “mademoiselle,” he wrote, made reference “without justification nor necessity” to a woman’s “matrimonial situation,” whereas “monsieur” has long signified simply “sir.”

The choice of mademoiselle, madame or monsieur appears most everywhere one gives one’s name in France: opening a bank account, shopping on the Internet or paying taxes, for instance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/world/europe/france-drops-mademoiselle-from-official-use.html

[PowerToThePeople]

1. NPR has been ahead of DU for some time now.

When did this change? This used to be my "go to" for freshest news, now i just go to see reactions to it.

Sorry about carping your thread, just venting a little....

[jannyk]

2. +1000!