Which?

In regards to Dr., Rabbi, and King, their titles don’t change because of their professions, it changes because of their degree/rabbinic ordainment/whatever makes someone a king.

With professor, I’m not sure that’s considered a title any more than screwdriver manufacturer.

Cook and Baker.

Interestingly, Associated Press has in its style book that on second references members of the clergy are referred to as Mr. (or Ms. if that happens to be the case.)

“Cook and Baker.”

Huh?

Well then you also have “The Janitor” and “The taxi driver” and “The bus driver” and “The Doctor”

Little – as in Little Froggie

a Tinkler a Tailor

Joseph: What do they call each other then?

Ishti ve Ba’ali? or My husband and My Wife?

Mr. _____ and Mrs. ______ ?

Meno: Professor is a huge title in academia. Typically that comes with tenure. College “professors” often begin as Instructors (or not even that if they are adjuncts). Then if they’re blessed they can move on to higher titles such as Assistant Professor before Professor.

Many “professors” (lowercase p intentional) have doctorates. Some have their highest level of education as master’s. Either way, not every Dr. professor becomes an actual, Professor of _______.

So IMHO Professor wins out; yet I called some Professors by their Professor title and others by Dr.

scared driver delight: Here is the rule of thumb for this kind of thing: Even if someone is a Professor, Dr., King, and Rabbi, Pizza Delivery Driver always supersedes any other title.

Herr Nur (Yiddish) basically translates to “Listen Up”. It avoids any semblance of calling one’s spouse in public in any affectionate manner.

That sounds rude. I like Rebbetzin better. Most people I know call their wives by their first names, but if they didn’t they would say Rebbetzin not “listen up”.

The issue that I’ve been struggling with for years is what to call my friends’ husbands. I used to deal with it by not calling them anything, and just trying to get their attention. But that can be awkward and difficult. So I finally started calling them “Rabbi” (by itself, w/o a last name.)

Sorry, I had no idea this was an old Minhag tznius amongst Yidden! I can only think of one person I know who does this and he is davka from a very modern background.

To me, it davka felt less tznius, although I realized his point was to be more tznius.

Is it really an old minhag?

LuL: Yes, I heard about this “minhag” too

About your quandary (why would you be speaking to a friend’s husband?) I think him referring to his wife a “my wife” sets her apart from you, in a subtle way. We wish to remain an Am Kadosh, and we take steps necessary to be ?????? ?????? in any way. This is one way, setting a “boundary” through speech. So even when you must speak to a man, his wife is not “Soshie” but “My Wife”. That sets them apart. So much more so when he’s speaking about her (c”v no lashon hara) to another man.

How you address another man? I guess your method works. I know that sometimes I’m addressed as third person when in the presence of a bunch of girls/women, as a sign of tznius. It rubs me so bad, to me it’s so untznius. (“Would Little Froggie please come over”) Just say “you” – “could you come here?” So plain and simple. Nothing to it!!!

LF, I don’t want to speak for LUL, but an obvious reason for a woman to talk to somebody else’s husband is to make a polite request (pass the salt, don’t park in the driveway, etc.)

scared driver delight: Titles cater to the current profession.

My former political science professor has both a PhD and JD. He is not teaching or practicing law in our classroom. Thus, he goes by Dr.______ to fit his profession.

Titles also change when one’s title is promoted. A JD who goes back to get a master’s of laws then becomes a LLM. Someone can also go from a master’s in something to a PhD or MD.

When someone has multiple titles that are current used for one’s profession, one can combine them.

*****Think of the case where a psychologist has multiple titles following his or her name, all which are relevant to his or her profession, such as Dr. Psychologist Therapist, PSY.D, P.A.

*****And Dr. Medical Doctor Surgeon, MD FACS.

If either of these doctors were also rabbis, then adding the title would typically only occur if their job is using his or her rabbinical specialty.

If a pediatrician is also a mohel, then Dr. Pediatrician, MD, CM*

*Certified Mohel by the Orthodox Rabbinical School of Mohels (I made this school up to illustrate the point).

Back to the original fascinating question.

There are a few cultural differences here. For example, In the US, President is a title, e.g. President Bush, President Obama. And they keep their title even after their presidency is over. (So the Clinton’s could possibly be, instead of Mr and Mrs, President & President Clinton). In the UK, Prime Minister is a position. The proper title is The Right Honourable (Rt Hon David Cameron, or Rt Hon Theresa May)(Right Honourable is actually a title conferred on members of the Privy Council, but that’s another discussion). At the end of their premiership, they retain the Rt Hon, and may be referred to as former Prime Minister. I notice that Mrs Clinton is referred to as Secretary Clinton, which would not happen in the UK.

In the Jewish world, as far as I am aware, we in the UK have a unique thing in that a dayan on a beis din gets the Dayan as a title, e.g. Dayan Dunner, as opposed to, let’s say, Rabbi Braunstein who is known as Rabbi. So, when referring to the Chazon Yechezkel, a Briton would say Dayan Abramsky, whereas anyone else would call him Rav Abramsky. The Minchas Yitzchok is known here as Dayan Weiss, but in Eretz Yisroel, as “Harav Weiss der gaavad, (nein, nisht der heintiger, der alter vos hot geshriben Minchas Yitzchok)”.

lightbrite,

All U.S. presidents retain their title for life *as a courtesy*, so all former presidents are referred to as Mr. President or President <last name>.

However, after a bit of ‘googling’ around, I see there is some difference of opinion on the matter, regarding their *official* title. This is especially relevant now, as a former president may become the spouse of a president.

Another interesting piece regarding multiple titles, is concerning the former Chief Rabbi Jakobovits zt”l. He was a Rabbi, a Knight and then a Baron and a member of the Privy Council. so his full title was: Rabbi, The Right Honourable, The Lord Jakobovits, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. To quote from the London Gazette in 1981 “The QUEEN was pleased on Wednesday, 22nd July 1981, at Buckingham Palace, to confer the Honour of Knighthood upon the undermentioned:…Rabbi Sir Immanuel JAKOBOVITS…”.