Can "Messrs." include a female?

[FLMountainMan]

Editing a novel I wrote a few years back and I am talking about two men and woman. Is it appropriate to say "Messrs. Jones, Smith, and Johnson?"

I'm thinking not, because it;s short for Messiuers, but google-fu hasn't revealed the exact answer.

 

[Blackhood]

I've always believed it to be a masculine term, but I've never had any formal justification for this. Maybe check out the Oxford English Dictionary or EtymOnline (I find etymology often answers "proper usage" questions fairly well.

 

[Blackhood]

Follow up, having looked at a couple of etymology books the following is a common answer:

The pl. Messrs. (1779) is an abbreviation of Fr. messieurs, pl. of monsieur, used in English to supply the pl. of Mr., which is lacking.

Plural of Mr, not a collective noun and therefore not applicable to a non-Mr.

 

[Siggy]

Its only for dudes.

 

[JohnGalt]

Messrs. Jones, Smith and Mme. Johnson

 

[Working Stiff]

But don't you use 'ils' for a mixed group? Possibly analogous?

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

Follow up, having looked at a couple of etymology books the following is a common answer:



Plural of Mr, not a collective noun and therefore not applicable to a non-Mr.

Thanks, appreciate it.

 

[JohnGalt]

Originally Posted by Working Stiff

But don't you use 'ils' for a mixed group? Possibly analogous?

not analogous

 

[Rambo]

So what do you use for a mixed group? I know FLMM is from the south but I don't think Y'All will go over well on a formal document.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

Messrs. Jones, Smith and Mme. Johnson

I would use Messrs. Jones, Smith and Ms. Johnson. But that's just me.

 

[indesertum]

messiuers jones, smith and mme johnson

 

[Rambo]

Why not just use Mr. and Mrs.?

 

[FLMountainMan]

...

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

Messrs. Jones, Smith and Mme. Johnson

Originally Posted by odoreater

I would use Messrs. Jones, Smith and Ms. Johnson. But that's just me.

Thanks guys, appreciate the help. I'm going to go with this one.

I appreciate all the input, ya'll!

 

[Sherman90]

Related question: when spoken aloud, is Messrs. PRONOUNCED "Messers" or "Misters" - i.e. "Messers Smith and White" vs. "Misters Smith and White"?