Sunday, June 30, 2024

 I would go so far as to say, a summer’s day. Helen came to see me, and later on Laura — one of you. She is in Edinburgh with a tour group, not a knitting one. On to Dublin today or tomorrow. My carer was enchanted with the idea when I told her, and said quite rightly that we should have had a picture taken together.

   I’ve heard from my sister, who is worried (needless to say) about the American political situation. I continue to read a lot about it, but there is nothing for anyone to say. Was it a New Yorker columnist who bade him consider Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who predictably skewed the Supreme Court by delaying her own retirement? That’s not a consideration which is likely to weigh with Mr Biden.

     Nor is Mrs Biden going to be of any use, clearly. What about the sister? Or does it all come down to Obama? (Jill Biden belongs to a very small subset of the world population who irritate me intensely by insisting on being addressed as “Dr.” on the strength of a non-medical degree. I refuse.) 

   Wordle: I played with wild abandon this morning — two failures in a row would hardly have mattered, but I got it in six. Three was a Jean-word (and rather helpful). Four was a wild guess — I still don’t know what it means— which left me in the old Wordle four~green situation. No luck with five. But line six was right.

    Three for Mark. Five for Theo and Alexander — they both got briefly stuck in my four-green pattern. Four for the others. No news from Roger.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:03 PM

    I wonder, Jean, why you feel there is a problem with addressing someone with a " non medical degree" as Dr? Someone with a PhD has a doctorate in philosophy ( or other subject at that level) and IS a "doctor of philosophy". So why should they not be addressed as "Dr"? They've worked hard and earned their title, and I've never seen an alternative option mentioned....... Best wishes from the apparently very irritating "Dr" JennyS

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  2. Anonymous7:09 PM

    Maybe the US is different from the UK?

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  3. Anonymous7:09 PM

    I agree. From starting my undergraduate degree to finishing my PhD took me longer than it takes a medic to obtain the title Dr, and although I rarely save a life, I do feel entitled to have my achievement marked if I so wish.

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  4. Anonymous7:17 PM

    I would agree with Dr (no need for quotes) Jenny, who has earned a doctorate (PhD). It is the medical profession who have the 'honorary' title of 'doctor' (quotes and small case!).
    The first definition of 'doctor' in Chambers English Dictionary is 'teacher'. The medical practitioner is mentioned later in the definition. A doctorate (an academic degree of doctor) is, as far as I am aware, not conferred on a medical practitioner unless he/she does further studies beyond his/her medical degree.

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    1. Anonymous5:31 PM

      This. Scholars were the original doctors. Physicians adopted the title later. (The Other Kristen, who does not use her hard-earned “Dr.” title, but at times wishes she did and is perfectly happy for others to do so)

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  5. Anonymous9:00 PM

    I wish I was on a committee which could give you an honorary doctorate Jean! For dedication to and expertise in knitting alone, let alone your career which I’m sorry I don’t know more about.
    You deserve one in my estimation!
    Lisa R-R

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  6. Anonymous9:19 PM

    In any situation where confusion might arise as to medical expertise, it is probably less confusing if holders of PhD and DSci degrees in non medical fields are not referred to as “Doctor”. In a health care setting, for sure. And if someone collapses aboard a plane, the query “is there a doctor?” is not really calling for the expertise of an hydraulic engineer or a professor of linguistics. But in other professional and social settings, those individuals should be addressed as doctor, unless they express a preference for another title, or for none at all. It is, I think, quite appropriate to recognize their educational attainment.

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  7. I actually have two doctorates (one of them was "accidental") but I don't use the title in most situations because it can be confusing and, potentially, dangerous. One of my colleagues was called on during a medical emergency on a flight and had to explain she was not a medical doctor. (Fortunately however she did know how to help as her own father had suffered from the same condition which was causing the problem.)

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  8. Eileen McWilliam2:53 PM

    Well, there is the precedent of the venerable Samuel Johnson. He didn't have a PhD but was dubbed Dr. Johnson for his prodigious erudition.

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  9. KarenVP7:43 PM

    My mother (medical doctor) always called me “the proper doctor” when I earned my DPhil. And remember that surgeons work very hard to become Mr/Mrs/Miss again after getting their first medical qualification.

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