Thursday, June 20, 2013

MR vs Mrs

Anybody notice that MS Word changes "MRS" to "Mrs" in any Word document, the first time around? 


See, if you're addressing something to "MR AND MRS BLANK", MS Word automatically changes it to "MR AND Mrs BLANK". 

Typing it the other way around - that is, as "MRS AND MR BLANK" (on the basis that perhaps the word that comes after "and" gets downsized from all caps) - gets you the same result: "Mrs AND MR BLANK". You have to go back and retype the "Mrs" as "MRS" to make it stay that way. 

I think it's a sexism in play - albeit in a small way, but irritating to me because I tend to address envelopes to clients with the names and address in all caps as it's easier that way - except for this little hitch. 

And did I mention it's sexist?

Disclaimer: There might be some way of turning off this annoying feature, but I for one don't know of it. Ideas, anyone? 

5 comments:

Anu said...

Didn't happen to me. Which version of word are you using? (I have Microsoft Office 10)

Shammi said...

Ok, thanks, Anu - maybe it's just the version we use at work (which isnt MS Office 10).

nourish-n-cherish said...

Maybe that was a Product Manger's joke!

Anu said...

I am going to check this our with a Microsoft Consultant that we are currently working with. Will get back to you.

Rahini David said...

Whenever MS Word presumes you made a mistake and "corrects" you and you don't want to stand corrected, just press "Ctrl+Z"

Your M, R, S are identified as separate actions and the "Correction" as another new action. Don't actually go and type a R and S over the r and the s. New versions are trained to learn from these "Ctrl+z" actions if I am not wrong.