[a]

[Victor Steinbok]

Let me explain the brief subject header.

The issue of using the indefinite article under some specific
circumstances has come up here previously. For example, the distinction
between (1) and (2) is rather striking.

1) Tom is gay
2) ?Tom is a gay

So "gay" resists being nouned in this context, except for ESL speakers
and occasional bigoted remarks.

At the same time, other descriptors are far less resistant, perhaps
traditionally so.

(3)
http://goo.gl/4I83Z
> Prosser is not a Catholic.

I would have found it perfectly adequate--in fact, preferred--if the
sentence read

(4) Prosser is not Catholic.

The only reason this raised a flag at all is likely my being aware of
(2). I am sure most people would even blink before accepting (3) as
perfectly reasonable (on faith alone).

A quick Google sketch gives the numbers: 22.9M raw for "is a Catholic",
585K raw for "is Catholic" (both in quotes). Adding the "not" reverses
the relationship, somewhat: 489K raw for "is not a Catholic", 1.18M raw
for "is not Catholic". I am sure most hits are spurious and "Catholic"
is followed by a noun in most of these. Still, the numbers are there.

I just thought the comparison to be interesting, although I am not
making any claims.

     VS-)

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