During a trial on the court channel, the prosecution asked a witness (paraphrasing): Can you point out the person who shot you, attacked your wife, stole your money, shot your dog, kidnapped your daughter and burned down your business?”
Witness: "Yes, it is that gentleman, sitting at the defense table."

This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard victims describe their assailant as a “gentleman.” But it seems incongruous that this is the best term someone in the position of victim can use to describe an assailant. I could list pages of opprobrium more suited to the situation but gentleman wouldn’t be included.

According to several dictionaries, a gentleman is usually someone of noble station. It can also apply to “any man” but does the word really fit in a criminal situation?

Certainly, in the UK, up to about 100-150 years ago, gentleman (and lady) was reserved for describing those from upper-class families. Not necessarily noble, but those who owned land.

In more egalitarian times, the title is used to refer to any man. Public lavatories usually are labelled "Gentlemen" and "Ladies", notwithstanding the fact that the most likely users of the facilities are hoi polloi.

I agree that the use in the circumstances mentioned seems rather incongruous.

I hear it used to describe outright jerks more and more.
Yet another perfectly good work ruined. (Yeah, Zmj, go ahead and tell me I'm wrong! )

I use "lady", but I don't often use "gentleman."

Ladies and gentlemen are often just euphemisms for women and men. However, in her book Women/Men/Management, Ann Harriman, Professor Emeritus of Human Resources Management at California State University, Sacramento, says gentleman is not a euphemism for man, since man has no negative connotations, but lady is a euphemism for woman, since woman has sexual overtones. Interesting reading.

The book quotes a sheriff who was running for reelection. He was giving a campaign speech to a woman's group and talked about the "girls" and "ladies" in his office. One woman objected, saying those words may be offensive to some voters. He asked what word should he use. She suggested he just use the word women. He bristled at the suggestion and said "I was raised to respect the fair sex. If I had ever called my mother a woman, my father would have whipped me."

Here's a quote from the book (p. 122).

quote:

Some interesting research supports the notion that these words are used euphemistically. Respondents reported that they would expect a woman to have interesting and important things to say; ladies were seen as more frivolous, having more wealth, and concerned mostly with social or charitable interests.

However, older respondents in particular preferred lady to woman. Lady signified dignity, respect, and refinement, it brought better treatment, and it was seen as a desirable thing to be. Woman, by contrast. seemed earthier and more common. Younger women and, to a lesser extent, younger men, however, saw woman as being less pretentious, less prudish, and less stilted (Eakins and Eakins 1978).

I think it's used in other circumstances. First of all, as with other terms of respect, there's the ironic use - which may well fit the court scenario. "Everybody here knows you're not a gentleman so that's exactly why I shall call you one, to draw attention to your shortcomings."

Then there is the use I sometimes apply it to. I refer to people in my class as "gentlemen" or "ladies", even when I'm teaching a class of fifteen year olds. I do this for a number of reasons; it's a slight affectation which has become a speech habit; I can't think of a better form of address in the circumstances; I would quite like them to behave as if they were ladies or gentlemen and think (perhaps erroneously) that addressing them as such will encourage this.)

Then there is the arrogant usage that you hear which means something like "while I know that you are not a gentleman, I certainly am and so I will show my breeding bu addressing you as if you too were on my level".

And that, gentlemen, is my take on the subject.

Where do "ladies of the night" fit into this? A long used irony, methinks.

Ann Hariman (or is that Harriperson?) causes a certain bristling from me when I hear the term, "human resources." Sounds as if humans are no more than minerals to be extracted, processed, and spat out upon a pile of slag. And that's indeed how it works in the business world.

After reading the discussion, I've concluded that the only reason a victim would call the defendant in this case a gentleman would be to avoid confusing him with the lawyers.

Speaking about lawyers, on a court channel case, the prosecuting attorney asked the witness, "Can you point to the person who shot you and [Jim Jones]?"
The victim pointed to the defendant.
PA: "And did he kill both of you?"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Proofreader>,

What's the difference between lawyer roadkill and skink roadkill?

A. There are skidmarks before the skunk.

Here in the metro-NY region, & I expect in tough-talkin' Chicago s well, "Lady" is a nameless female, and often an epithet. Think mobster movies, cabbies, and all things Brooklynese. "Hey, lady, you in the hat. I ain't got all day."

One (or two) generations ago, the lady of the house had a cleaning woman. Now, the woman of the house has a cleaning lady.

As immortalized by Helen Reddy . . . I am woman, hear me roar!

quote:

As immortalized by Helen Reddy . . . I am woman, hear me roar!

As immortalized by most of the others, . . . I am woman, hear me whine.

Don't show this to my wife.

quote:

Originally posted by Caterwauller:
As immortalized by Helen Reddy . . . I am woman, hear me roar!

Well, there's Beano for when that happens.

quote:

Well, there's Beano for when that happens.

That'll be nice; it's a while since I read The Beano http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/comicinformationpages/beanopages/beanohomepage.asp

While I knew about Beano the food supplement (link) and Beano the British comic (link), I'd never heard of Beano the grenade (link).