You say tomato, I say...

To those it may concern besides myself:

This post is in reference to the "Bargain Shoppers Go Postal" story in the April 29 edition.

Do you know anyone with a mistress' degree in journalism or education? In like fashion, there are no postmistresses; there are only postmasters.

I will grant you that Webster's College Dictionary does indeed have a listing for postmistress, but I would be greatly surprised if the AP Stylebook does so as well (that is, if AP stylebooks still exist).

Here are the one-line definitions from that dictionary: postmaster -- an official in charge of a post office; postmistress -- a woman in charge of a post office. My definition for a postmistress would be "woman after the 'other woman'."

Now I'm not calling for manhole covers to be renamed personhole covers, but I would think you would find the dictionary's distinction between postal leaders to be as bothersome as I do. Otherwise, maybe the two of you should be considered a reportress and editress, respectively. Ha.


I'm going to kiss my postmaster wife goodbye and go deliver some mail.

Patrick Magers