I would give a lot to be addressed as "Mrs. Thomas" or "ma'am" by the brisk young things who handle administrative tasks at wickets and cash registers. Unfortunately, they tend to call me "Uh, Shar ... maine?" in a misguided effort to be friendly, or "miss", which makes me look around for a teenage girl.

When Edmund and I dine out at any but the most expensive establishments, the server usually addresses us as "You guys." It costs at least an extra fifty bucks to achieve the dignity of "sir" and "madame."

Jim Dixon is correct in identifying house style as the culprit in journalists' use of titles and honorifics.