[Ads-l] "Pleasant gentleman"

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Thu Nov 6 18:23:02 UTC 2014


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

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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