A Near Miss

Though we stand firmly, feet planted, behind the New York Times and its rigorous, fanatically monitored style, there are occasional moments when we wish the Old Gray Lady would loosen her bonnet. For example, in Monday's Arts section, the Times' rule of referring to people by their proper title forced a reviewer to label Missy Elliot as "Ms. Elliot" or, spelled out, "Miss Elliot." Awkward. Luckily, Mr. T can still be called "Mr. T," although coming from the Times, that "Mr." feels a lot more formal.