Debrett’s goes digital
A traditional guide to toffs moves with the times
DROPDOWN MENUS can be telling. Buy a subscription to the Times, a conservative paper, and under the “Titles” option it offers you a duly conservative selection: “Mr”, “Mrs”, “Miss”, “Ms” and “other”. The left-leaning Guardian offers no titles at all. Debrett’s is different. It offers not merely “Mr” and “Mrs” but also “Lord”, “Lady”, “Sir”, “Hon.”, “Capt.”, “Col.” and “Rev.” Signing up is less like online shopping than assuming a part in a Jane Austen adaptation.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Baron net”
Britain September 25th 2021
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From the September 25th 2021 edition
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