Dear Augusto, I heard from an armyman of superb wit--he was with the Signals, now deceased (who took on the Central govt as a cadet at Khadakvasla -- unheard of) that in the mess one would hear "Messieurs and Mesdames (Mess Dames)." Presumably this tickled some of our as yet not so Anglicized officers and their wives quite a bit. Ki gul, myain messdame hun nah.
venantius > From: "augusto pinto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Goanet] O Dear Dears > > When addressing large audiences in letters to newspapers or Internet > mailing-lists, what should the salutation be? Should it be 'Dear > Messieurs and Mesdames' or 'Dear Ladies and Gentlemen' or 'Dear > Readers? I find these too archaic and stilted. >