In the case of familial closeness, the honorary prefix of Aunt, Uncle or Cousin is used with first names. The latter can be confusing. In years past, Southern boys and girls followed the elaborate ritual of dating, going steady, getting pinned and, finally, getting engaged. In more recent times, Southern teen-agers tend to be an amorphous blend of guys and gals out on the town together. It's increasingly difficult for an outsider to figure out just who's with whom.
Southern women keep the stationery suppliers in business.
After every gift, every occasion, every kindness, out comes the monogrammed note paper and away goes a sweet little letter of thanks, one of our better traits.