Okay, quick question to the grammar geeks on my FList:

[out_there]

*hugs the grammar geeks* Because you're sexy in an articulate way.

When you address a letter "Dear sir/madam", should the "sir" be capitalised?

People keep saying it should, and yet to me, it feels that it shouldn't. It's not a proper name (it's more like a terminally un-capitalised pronoun). Am I looking at this from the wrong light? Is it a title and therefore should always be capitalised?

Comments

[speshope.livejournal.com]

Sir is in the same catagory as Mr. or Ms. so, yeah, it's capitalized in that respect.... but, on the other hand, if you put it at the end of a sentence like "You've lost your pants, sir." it's not capitalized....

*sics one of her Grammar Maven friends on you for better help*

[raendrop.livejournal.com]

Augh! Point I did not think of.

Yes, in that case it would not be capitalized. But in salutations it is.

*curls up in a corner, sucking thumb and clutching OED*

Re:

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*sics one of her Grammar Maven friends on you for better help*

Dude, thanks! You rock.

Re:

[speshope.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I do what I can.

Directed here by <lj user="speshope">

[raendrop.livejournal.com]

It is an honorific being used in place of the person's name, and therefore should be capitalized as any name would be. For example:

"I need to speak with my mom."
"I'll ask Mom and see what she thinks."

In the first example, it's a common noun, identifiable by the preceding possessive pronoun. We can just as easily substitute "sister" and it reads with (almost) the same meaning.

In the second example, it's being used as a name. We can just as easily substitute "Bob" and it reads with (almost) the same meaning.

Therefore, capitalize "Dear Sir/Madam" in the salutation of a letter, because it's the same as (only more polite than) "Dear Jeffrey."

Re: Directed here by <lj user="speshope">

[out-there.livejournal.com]

So, if I'm using it as a title, or instead of someone's name, I capitalise.

If I'm using it to refer to someone, it's lowercase.

*nods* I think I can remember that.

Thanks for helping out! *g*

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

I was going to say 'because I say so', but all of the above will do.

Re:

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Well, that's good, because that answer, always makes me go "Why?"

(Heh. And, suddenly I'm remembering a childhood book, all full of why questions, and the answer was always "Because God made it so." That's a line of reasoning I don't accept when it comes to grammar. *g*)