The Gentleman Fled on Foot

The Gentleman Fled on Foot The Gentleman Fled on Foot The Gentleman Fled on Foot By Maeve Maddox My local TV news team never lets me down when it comes to egregious misuse of the English language. This week they reported on a man who killed his two-month-old son by crushing his ribs and slamming his head against the side of his crib. Youll never guess what the reporter called this monstrous sicko in the introduction to the story. She referred to him as Frustrated Dad. Surely a more neutral noun than dad would have been preferable in this contextparent, for example. (For that matter, frustrated seems mild for the circumstances, but thats another post.) Newswriters would do well to weigh their choice of words against the context of the story being reported on. Moms, dads, and kids might be acceptable in reporting on Little League or a school picnic, but such folksy terms dont belong in stories about child abuse, poverty, or juvenile delinquency. The title of this post comes from a news story about a man who robbed a bank branch and escaped on foot. I cant remember if it was the reporter or the policeman being interviewed, but one of them said the gentleman fled on foot. This bizarre use of the word gentleman to refer to a bank robber is similar to the tendency of writers to apply the honorific Mr. to felons. Unless your publication has a specific policy, dont imply respect for the criminal by calling him Mr. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talkingâ€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†10 Types of Hyphenation Errors