Seth, I can't speak to the origins of that usage, but I can say that here in 
the New Orleans area it's the default form of address used whenever 
addressing someone significantly older--kids to young adults, young adults 
to middle-agers, and middle-agers to the elderly. It doesn't seem to vary 
much across settings, except those characterized by high degrees of 
formality. Certainly a child in my neighborhood would address me as "Mr. 
Jeff." But students generally lean toward "Dr. Jeff," too. Now if there was 
an element of derision in this usage originally, it's certainly gone now in 
the deep south. Nor is "distance" part of the equation anymore. Rather, "Mr. 
Jeff" indicates a show of deference + friendliness, perhaps a respectful 
first move in negotiating closeness. In fact, to call me "Mr. Wiemelt" or 
"Dr. Wiemelt" would likely signal a very distant or highly formal 
relationship. It's a good way to offend someone in many cases.

I should say that I'm not from the south originally, and all of this was 
quite difficult for me to get used to once I moved here, 15 years ago. But 
I've come to love this usage. It may take a bit longer for me to swallow 
this whole "sugar" and "sweetie" thing. And don't even get me started on the 
#%$$* weird courtesies of southern drivers. . . .

Jeff

Dr. Jeff Wiemelt
Director of Freshman English
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA 70402
(985) 549-5761
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Katz, Seth" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 1:55 PM
Subject: Mr. + first name


>I was wondering if any of you have observed this particular usage, and if 
>you might know anything about its origins and distribution.
>
> One of my students, named Nate Smith, works at his father's business and 
> has observed that African American workers in the business refer to him as 
> "Mr. Nate" and refer to his father as "Mr. Mike."  Nate has observed the 
> same usage among his African American co-workers in a campus cafeteria 
> kitchen--where he is not the boss's son, but a fellow dishwasher.
>
> On brief reflection, I realized that this usage appears in a number of 
> contexts: the care-providers in child-care facilities are often referred 
> to by the children as Mr. or Ms. + first name.  The staff in the 
> pediatrician's office does the same thing: it's "Dr. Lori," not "Dr. + 
> last name" (though sometimes they just refer to the physician as "Doctor"; 
> I've heard the same with Catholic priests being referred to as "Father," 
> though I've also heard them referred to by Father + first name).  In some 
> congregations, I have heard the clergy person called Rabbi Sam (instead of 
> Rabbi Schwartz) or Pastor Tom (instead of Pastor Eckhart). Then there are 
> nationally syndicated figures like Dr. Laura and Dr. Phil.
>
> Does anyone know the origin of this usage--honorific + first name? Does it 
> originate in Black English?  I'm thinking of "Mistah Charlie," for 
> example, as a generic reference to the boss(es) or White men with power. 
> In the odd mix of intimacy (first name use) and distance (honorific), 
> might I detect some derisive irony--an opportunity to get in a dig (by 
> being overly familiar) while maintaining the guise of respect (by using 
> the honorific)?  If derision was implied in its origin, my sense is that 
> that feature has been lost as the usage has spread: that it has become a 
> sort of 'cutism' to make figures of authority (physicians, clergy, 
> employers) seem more approachable.
>
> I myself find the usage grating for the most part, though it is cute when 
> my 4-year-old neighbor calls me "Mr. Seth" and I call him "Mr. John."
>
> Any information or opinions would be welcome.
>
> Seth
>
> Dr. Seth Katz
> Assistant Professor     |   Faculty Advisor
> Department of English   |   Bradley University Hillel
> Bradley University      |
>
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