[Ads-l] "Pleasant gentleman"

[Jonathan Lighter]

"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.)
> >
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