<P> Nancy Tuckerman of the Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette writes that in the USA , unlike the UK , a boy can be addressed as master only until age 12 , then is addressed only by his name with no title until he turns 18 , when he takes the title of Mr. , although it is not improper to use Mr. if he is slightly younger . In former times enslaved African - American addressed their oppressors as master as a term reflective of their forced and unpaid labor . Some of the enslaved Africans would often pronounce it in a colloquial dialect as `` massa '' . Robert Hickey , deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington , states that `` use of Master ( as ) an honorific when addressing boys is considered old fashioned outside of conservative circles . '' </P>
<P> Nancy Tuckerman of the Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette writes that in the USA , unlike the UK , a boy can be addressed as master only until age 12 , then is addressed only by his name with no title until he turns 18 , when he takes the title of Mr. , although it is not improper to use Mr. if he is slightly younger . In former times enslaved African - American addressed their oppressors as master as a term reflective of their forced and unpaid labor . Some of the enslaved Africans would often pronounce it in a colloquial dialect as `` massa '' . Robert Hickey , deputy director of the Protocol School of Washington , states that `` use of Master ( as ) an honorific when addressing boys is considered old fashioned outside of conservative circles . '' </P>
when does a boy go from master to mister
when does a boy go from master to mister
age 12
age 12