Pondering A Capitalisation Question

Proper names get capitalised. Ex: Tom, Dick, and Harry

Titles get capitalised when they precede a proper name. Ex: President Ford, Doctor Livingstone.

But when a job title get used to refer to a person... Which is right?

"Yes Teacher, no Teacher, sorry Teacher I won't do it again."
vs
"Yes teacher, no teacher, sorry teacher I won't do it again."

I've gone so far as to dig out an old copy The Little Brown Book (the nearest thing to a style guide I have kicking around) and checked that, but that book's rule 26e doesn't necessarily feel right.

Since grammar is (at many levels) a matter of agreeing on various semi formula rules, I'm wondering how others feel on this topic.

Goodgulf

A rule that suggests itself to me is this: if someone can be addressed in the form "Title Name" (with capital letters), then if you leave the name out, you must still capitalize "Title".

Let's try this: we have

"Please don't spank me, Professor Smith!"

versus.

"Please don't spank me, Professor!"

These both look good to me. On the other hand, your example

"Please don't spank me, Teacher!"

doesn't look so good to me, perhaps because I would never expect to hear

"Please don't spank me, Teacher Smith!"

Does that make any sense?

It does...

But I was faking the example. The actual bit in the story is addressing someone who is the director of a facility. To quote (from a story that is awaiting validating on SIN/spanko.net). Setting the scene - two inmates have been told to model nightwear for someone touring the facility, then told that they should put themselves on report for being out of uniform. When they try to protest the catch 22 situation the response is:
"Yes, and if you hadn't you would have been on report for blatant disobedience." Director Bachman informed them. "And that would result in a worse punishment night for you. Now chop-chop. No wasting time."
"But..."
"Heather, do you want to be written up for disobedience as well as being out of uniform? Do you really want a double dose?"
"No director. Sorry director. It won't happen again director."

---

One of the central characters is Director Bachman, the man in charge of the facility - a combination woman's reform institution and private boarding academy. Those who are "in the know" or "of quality" can sign their girls into the facility - but it mainly deals with those sentenced to be there. Inmates (of both kinds) call him director - and I'm not sure if it should 'director' or 'Director'. A bit like a slave addressing her owner as 'Sir' over 'sir' or 'Master' over 'master'.

Part of me wants to use "Director" but another part of me wants it to be the more normally used 'director'. And I know, if I was using the title 'doctor' it would be:
"No doctor. Sorry doctor. It won't happen again doctor."
- but there's the domination element involved here...

So I'm still unsure of 'Director" vs "director".

Goodgulf

I think in the example it should be Teacher - and Director. In both cases an individual is being addressed by their work-related title and the emphasis on on that role. The teacher is scary because (s)he is a teacher. Yes, people are not addressed as Teacher Smith, but "Teacher" as a way of addressing a teacher is discouraged in most schools for just that reason. The child is using an incorrect title, but using it in just the way one might say "Professor". So I go for "Please don't spank me, Teacher" but for "Have you seen the arse on that teacher?" and "Please don't spank my teacher!" - not that I can easily imagine that last example in reality.

Similarly, it would be surprising to hear someone addressed as Coach Jones, but I'd think one would best write dialogue in which a player confronted his/her coach as "Don't get in my face, Coach!". Not capitalising coach here to me would suggest either that the coach in question was not the player's own coach but just some other coach who (s)he was arguing with - or that the player was berating a vehicle.

Really there shouldn't be hard and fast rules on such things. Write whatever seems effective.

I thought this discussion was going to be about Marx versus Milton Friedman or how to turn revenue expenditure into capital.

Short and simple... I always tell my third graders if you use the person's name you capitalize their title as well, otherwise their title is lower case.

Katie B

Since there seems to be disagreement about this, I'd say it doesn't matter as long as you're consistent, and, as barretthunter says, it feels right and seems effective.

Right after reading these comments I read the story "About the Schoolgirl" by cal33. It is a great example of how capitals can be used to bring out different shades of meaning.

If you're using the title as a pronoun in the sentence and, it's a title that's associated with a proper name, then it's in caps.

For example let's say there is a Captain Smith. Here' how it's handled in three ways.

The captain just want down the lower deck. (No one is being addressed her by name, so it's not caps).
I believe you're the best officer on board, Captain. (You don't need Smith, because Captain is being used as Smith's name. Captain Smith is being formerly addressed here).
Oh, Captain! May I have a word with you? (Same as the above. Smith is being former addressed by his title, which is associated with his proper name, Smith).

Jefesse, is correct with teacher. Teacher is a title not associated with a name as is Captain Smith. Therefore it's not in caps. If you're going to use 'teacher' with a proper name, although he's right, it doesn't sound right, then it's in caps. Teacher Smith. However Jefesse's 'professor' sentences are a different story. Professor is a title used with a name. Professor Smith. Even Professor alone is used as a pronoun because it's associated with a proper name.

Linda has a good idea here. Don't worry about it. We're not publishing these stories for monetary purposes. No editor's, publishers, lit agents involved. None of us need that extra headache.

American interpretation of grammatical rules tends to be more rigid and theoretical than British. I disagree with bendover on "teacher" and don't accept the rule quoted. "Your Highness" is capitalised, but no-one is called Highness Elizabeth, for example: "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales" is analogous to "The local bottom-pincher the Marquis of Bute". The actual rule here, in Britain at least, seems to be that capitalisation goes with great respect. It would be natural, too, for someone revered to be addressed as Teacher, Wise One or whatever. That may not be a rule, but any grammar book that says it's wrong is playing its own tune.

As bendover says, though - why get worried about it? If it looks natural, write it. By capitalising, for example, you effectively convey awe. That is, though, what I'd say about a published novel too.

Does it? Captain to NCO: "Your squad's a disgrace, Corporal!" Capital letter, definitely - respect, no.

I'd say that anyone addressed by their function, whether Professor, Director or Postman, gets a capital. Simple as that.