
It's rare that you see the honorific for a married woman — "missus" — written out like that. But as soon as you do, you think two things: 1) Gosh, that word looks so dowdy and old-fashioned. And, 2) Where the heck does the "r" in the abbreviation "Mrs." come from?
Mental Floss recently pondered the same thing, and did a little digging through history to unearth the origin of this puzzler. The explanation dates back to the 18th century, when "master" and "mistress" were the appropriate proper monikers for men and women, respectively.
But by the end of the century — because language is a fascinatingly fluid element of our everyday lives — people started say the word "mistress" in a way that removed the "r" sound. The pronunciation "missis" took over as the general term for women, and "mistress" was reserved for women who were in charge of something — like a governess, who watched a family's children (and somewhere along the way, "mistress" morphed into the more scandalous meaning we give it today).
"Missus" also eventually became the term servants or working class folks might address their employer — a casual approximation of the word, which is why people never wrote it out when they really wanted to use the more formal "Mrs." And today, we still don't.
If you're curious, it wasn't until the early 1900s that the idea of "Ms." appeared on the scene, according to the New York Times. A note in a newspaper was the earliest appeal from progressive-minded women for a moniker that didn't have to denote whether they were married or not. Then, the feminist movement in the 1970s lifted "Ms." to the more common usage today.
But what we really want to know is, what's next? "Mrz."? "Mrss."? But only time will reveal what the next generation's crazy language shape-shifting will be.
[via Mental Floss
Overseeing all things home for GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com, Lauren swoons over midcentury design and employs tough-love approach to decluttering (just throw it away, ladies). She loves anything neon coral, puts bacon on her veggie burgers, and would follow Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to the end of the earth.
-
I Wear Exclusively Neutrals—These 14 Items From Banana Republic's MDW Sale Speak To Me
Live your best life in linen.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Kylie Jenner and I Share The Same Favorite Phone Case Brand
The serotonin-boosting case I can't go a day without.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The 14 Must-Haves Marie Claire Editors Are Buying During Nordstrom's Enormous Sale
Thousands of cult products are discounted during Nordstrom's Half-Yearly Sale—but they're going fast.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy
-
29 Nude Movies With Porn-Level Nudity
All the nudity of porn, but with the plot and storylines of mainstream film.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide
The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recast—again.
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Hasnat Khan, Princess Diana’s Boyfriend on Season 5 of ‘The Crown’?
Di’s friends have said she referred to the doctor as “the love of her life.”
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Penelope "Penny" Knatchbull?
She and Prince Philip strike up an unlikely friendship throughout the fifth season of 'The Crown.'
By Andrea Park
-
'The Crown' Season 5: Everything We Know
The bombshell fifth season just dropped on Netflix.
By Andrea Park
-
90 Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired By Movies and TV Shows
Most of these Halloween costumes double as stylish additions to your closet.
By Brooke Knappenberger