Sidestepping Ms.takes

As a married woman who uses her maiden name professionally, Geraldine Ferraro has left a lot of people uncertain about how to address her. In a letter last year to the Washington Post, she clarified the matter, sort of: "I just wanted to let you know that I am a married Ms. I am Mrs. John A. Zaccaro to my kids' teachers and the electric company; Congresswoman Ferraro when I run for reelection; Geraldine to many of my constituents; Gerry to my friends, and Ms. Ferraro to just about anyone else."

Using the proper title is turning out to be the least of the dilemmas of deportment facing Walter Mondale and Ferraro. "Mondale cannot, whatever he does, kiss her," says Political Strategist Patrick Caddell. But can he open a car door? Should he deferentially usher her into a room ahead of himself? Most political consultants say it is important that the nation's first coed ticket present itself as a professional team, not as a couple. For the convention finale, Mondale's advisers worked out a set of guidelines: Mondale and Ferraro would put their arms around their respective spouses, wave with their free arms, and not embrace each other. "If some silly people want to address us as a couple, that's up to them," says Ferraro. "I'm going to be the Vice President, and he's going to be the President. And that's it."