gentleman

except for the still-acceptable generic public address of "ladies and gentlemen" and for an occasional, "He is a real gentleman," or perhaps its use in a legislative or political convention setting ("I call on the gentleman from New York" or "the gentlelady from Missouri"), this word ought to be retired. Its true mate, "gentlewoman," is mostly gone, and its other partner, "lady," has been retired in spite of herself. The word has lost its original meaning; Marjorie Luft, St. Paul, Minnesota, collects published reports of such "gentle" men as the "gentleman" who beat his dog to death, the arsonists whose work resulted in the death of two women (Crime Stoppers asked the public to help bring "these gentlemen to justice"), or serial killer Ted Bundy—also referred to in news articles as a gentleman. The press has also referred to "the gentleman who shot President Reagan" and "the gentleman who raped the elderly woman." See also lady (n.).