[Ads-l] "Pleasant gentleman"

Baker, John JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM
Fri Nov 7 00:13:44 UTC 2014


My impression is that "pleasant," and like words, are supposed to say something about the patient's demeanor.  Its absence, in other words, might in some circumstances be significant.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 7:06 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: "Pleasant gentleman"

"Pleasant" sounds like overkill to me.  Any chance that it's code for
"unpleasant"?

JL

On Thu, Nov 6, 2014 at 5:47 PM, Dave Hause <dwhause at cablemo.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dave Hause <dwhause at CABLEMO.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "Pleasant gentleman"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I can't recall specific non-complimentary descriptive terms but most
> practitioners recognize that the described patient may read their
> description and so would be reluctant to put negative comments in writing.
> Dave
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 12:23 PM
> Subject: Re: "Pleasant gentleman"
>
> Dave, thanks for telling me it's not uncommon (although one always
> wants to be unique).
>
> Have you seen any characterizations that are less complimentary than
> "pleasant gentleman"?  I am imagining a "patient demeanor" graphical
> chart, like those for degree of pain, ranging from a broad smile and
> top-hat for 10 -- "very pleasant gentleman" -- down to a hostile
> frown and burglar's mask for 1 -- ?.
>
> Joel
>
> At 11/5/2014 11:00 PM, Dave Hause wrote:
> >I'm not sure I'd call it a technical term, but I've seen it fairly
> >frequently in reports from consultants, as in "Thank you for referring
> this
> >pleasant gentleman to me..."  Hospital admissions, ER notes, clinic notes,
> >etc, strike me as much less likely to use this phrase.
> >Dave Hause, dwhause at cablemo.net
> >Waynesville, MO
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >
> >In reports available to me about my visits to medical practitioners I
> >have so often been described under the heading "Physical Examination
> >/ General" as "a pleasant gentleman" that I am wondering whether it
> >is a technical term of the profession.
> >
> >(I'm not complaining -- it's better than being called "difficult",
> >"obstreperous", or something worse than a gentleman.)
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



-- 
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