This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with USA and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (May 2012)

Miss (pronounced /ˈmɪs/) is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman (not entitled to another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"). Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction. Its counterparts are Mrs., usually used only for married women, and Ms., which may be used regardless of marital status.

The plural Misses may be used, such as in The Misses Doe. The traditional French "Mesdemoiselles" (abbreviation "Mlles") may also be used as the plural in English language conversation or correspondence.

Use as a title (honorific)[link]

The usage of "Miss" as a title in the United States is most frequently seen when referring to girls under eighteen.^[1] Though Miss is less commonly used as a title by unmarried adult women in the United States than in the past, some still prefer to be referred to as such. Twenty-first century etiquette honors an adult woman's personal preference of title. However, if the preference is not known, "Ms." is used. "Ms." is becoming the preferred choice as this female title in business. It is the equivalent to the male title "Mr." as neither is marital status specific.

Miss was formerly the default title for businesswomen, but has largely been replaced by Ms. in this context. It was, and to some extent remains, a default title for actresses (Miss Helen Hayes, Miss Barbara Stanwyck) or other celebrities (Miss Amelia Earhart). Such default usage has also proved problematic; the poet Dorothy Parker was often referred to as Miss Parker, even though Parker was the name of her first husband and she herself preferred Mrs. Parker. Later in the century, the use of "Miss" or "Mrs." became a problem for The New York Times in referring to political candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a married woman who did not use her husband's surname, since Mrs. has been used with a woman's maiden name only in limited circumstances in public life before the 1980s. (See more at Mrs.)

Use alone as a form of address[link]

"Miss" is the proper form for addressing all young ladies. It is sometimes used for younger adult woman, for example, "May I help you, Miss?" In the United States, "Ma'am" is more common for all adult women regardless of marital status, as it may be taken as patronizing, and it is presumptive to assume marital status based solely on apparent age. "Miss" alone is often used by schoolchildren to address female teachers regardless of marital status.

Other uses[link]

In some American subcultures, such as the American South and some urban cultures, Miss is sometimes used irrespective of marital status with a woman's first name in direct or indirect informal address, as Miss Ellen from Gone with the Wind or Miss Ellie from Dallas. This form was also used in upper class households in some English-speaking countries by servants to address or refer to the unmarried ladies of the household, and occasionally in family-run businesses in the same manner, though more commonly it was used to address servants if they were addressed by title at all. This is also common with female child-care givers, small children will refer to their preschool teacher or nanny as "Miss" and their first name, regardless of marital status.

In some styles of etiquette^[which?], the eldest daughter of a family was addressed on paper simply as Miss Doe, with the younger daughters being addressed as Miss Jane Doe and Miss Rebecca Doe. In person, as in when making introductions, the styling would have been extended to unmarried cousins with the same surname.

Another notable use of Miss is as the title of a beauty queen (given that in most pageants it is a requirement that contestants be unmarried), such as Miss America, Miss World, and Miss Universe. Other languages, such as French, Spanish, Bulgarian, and Portuguese, have borrowed the English Miss to refer to the winner of a beauty pageant.

In some Mexican schools (particularly, but not exclusively, in bi-lingual schools) the term Miss and female teacher are used interchangeably, students often address their female teachers simply as Miss.

References[link]

Trace Adkins
At sea aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), Nov. 27, 2002
Background information
Birth name	Tracy Darrell Adkins
Born	(1962-01-13) January 13, 1962 (age 50)
Origin	Springhill, Louisiana, USA
Genres	Country, country rock, blues rock
Instruments	Vocals Guitar[1]
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Capitol Nashville, Show Dog-Universal Music
Associated acts	Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, 38 Special, Ronnie Milsap, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton
Website	TraceAdkins.com

Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins (born January 13, 1962) is an American country music artist and actor. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations. In addition, he has charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including the Number One hits "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", "Ladies Love Country Boys", and "You're Gonna Miss This", which peaked in 1997, 2007, and 2008, respectively. "I Left Something Turned on at Home" went to #1 on Canada's country chart. All but one of his studio albums have received gold or platinum certification in the United States; his highest-selling to date is 2005's Songs About Me, which has been certified 2× Multi-Platinum for shipping two million copies.

He has also made several appearances on television, including as a panelist on the game shows Hollywood Squares and Pyramid, as a finalist on The Celebrity Apprentice, as the voice for recurring character Elvin on King of the Hill, and in television commercial voice-overs for the KFC fast food restaurant chain. In addition, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Free-Thinking Roughneck, which was released in late 2007. He has appeared in numerous films, including The Lincoln Lawyer.

Early life[link]

Sarepta, Louisiana, honors its home-town celebrity, Trace Adkins

Adkins was born in Sarepta in Webster Parish in north Louisiana. His parents are Aaron Adkins, a mill worker, and the former Peggy Carraway. His uncle was the Christian musician James W. Carraway (1923–2008). Trace Adkins is of English and Irish descent.^[2][3] His musical interest came at an early age, when his father taught him to play the guitar.^[1] In high school, he joined a gospel music group called the New Commitments. He was also a member of Future Farmers of America. Later, Adkins went on to study at Louisiana Tech University, where he also played defensive end for the Bulldogs football team. Though he never officially graduated he took up work at an oil rig. He lost the pinky finger on his left hand in an accident while using a knife to open a bucket, and asked doctors to reattach the finger at an angle so that he could continue to play guitar.^[1] Adkins then moved on to playing in honky tonk bars around Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s. An executive of Capitol Records spotted Adkins playing at a honky tonk, and soon afterwards signed him to the label. Adkins is married to Rhonda Forlaw, his third wife and mother of their three daughters; Adkins has two daughters from his first marriage.^[4]

Music career[link]

Early career[link]

Adkins' first single, "There's a Girl in Texas", was released in 1996, reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It was followed by the release of his debut album, Dreamin' Out Loud, later that year. The album produced several hit singles, including his first Top 5 single, "Every Light in the House", his first Number One in "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", and another Top 5 hit in "I Left Something Turned on at Home". The latter single was also a Number One hit in Canada. His second album, Big Time, produced a Top 5 in "The Rest of Mine", but subsequent singles proved less successful.^[1] A change in management delayed the release of Adkins' third album,^[5] but the album (titled More...) was eventually released in late 1999. Although the album's title track reached Top 10, More... failed to achieve gold status.

2001–2004[link]

In 2001, Adkins was injured in a tractor accident and had to temporarily cancel touring.^[6] He later entered a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program in Nashville,^[7] shortly after the release of his Chrome album. Chrome was the first album by Adkins to reach the Top 5 on the country albums charts; its title track reached Top 10 in late 2002.^[1]