# "Known To Police" and other ways you DON'T want to be described **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293 "2009-02-17T17:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/21 "2009-02-18T00:33:21Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > What’s so bad about not getting married? 😕 > [@Celyn](#): > > It is or WAS used as a sneaky way of suggesting “gay” without saying so. Probably not so much in use these days. I always thought it was a backhanded way of calling someone a failure. The accusation being that they **couldn’t** get married because no one would have them, as opposed to them simply being disinterested. The latter being near-unthinkable to some people. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/22 "2009-02-18T00:33:50Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > “Beloved local figure.” If you’re “beloved” and “local” but the most descriptive noun they can think of is “figure,” you’re the crazy guy with the dreadlocked beard living under the downtown bridge who wears a cheerleader outfit and does pom-pom routines for passing cars. Even worse if you’re an “institution.” Ah, yes. “Local institution” - runs for mayor every election, receives three ironic college student votes. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/23 "2009-02-18T00:37:39Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Even worse if you’re an “institution.” that’s still better than “institutionalised.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/24 "2009-02-18T00:40:52Z")
‘helping police with their enquiries’ ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/25 "2009-02-18T00:41:27Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I always thought it was a backhanded way of calling someone a failure. The accusation being that they **couldn’t** get married because no one would have them, as opposed to them simply being disinterested. The latter being near-unthinkable to some people. The alternative is when mention of his sixth wife comes up. When my obituary comes out, I’m glad I won’t be able to read it. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/26 "2009-02-18T00:56:24Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I always thought it was a backhanded way of calling someone a failure. The accusation being that they **couldn’t** get married because no one would have them, as opposed to them simply being disinterested. The latter being near-unthinkable to some people. You could be right in terms of U.S. usage. It’s a bit of a long-standing joke in Britain, though, that the “Telegraph” newspaper in particular, used to like that one a lot, with the meaning I suggest. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/27 "2009-02-18T00:58:10Z")
Ah, I’ve got one. “Well-known East End businessman”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/28 "2009-02-18T01:18:47Z")
In a similar vein “colourful racing identity”. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/29 "2009-02-18T01:23:03Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > In a similar vein “colourful racing identity”. Grrr. Someone always manages to pip me at the post. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/30 "2009-02-18T01:29:15Z")
“career criminal” Always made me think of someone saying “Yeah, I majored in Criminal Activities, with postgraduate work in Advanced Thuggery.” ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/31 "2009-02-18T01:51:29Z")
…and at the press conference the Premier was reported to be tired and emotional. “Tired and emotional” is press-speak (in Canada anyway) for falling-down drunk. I’ve wondred how they would actually described someone who genuinely \*\*was \*\* tired and emotional, and alcohol-free as well. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/32 "2009-02-18T02:06:47Z")
Friends and family say he was in the process of **turning his life around…** ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/33 "2009-02-18T02:08:50Z")
**The victim has been identified as…** ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/34 "2009-02-18T02:41:56Z")
“…checked herself into the hospital for **symptoms of exhaustion**.” AKA “crazy” or on drugs. If I’ve done something big enough to get an article in the paper about that, that’s a bad thing. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/35 "2009-02-18T02:46:00Z")
**Political gadfly.** That means you’re the person who speaks for 20 minutes at a school board meeting complaining about the budget and that when you were astudent there the teachers sent you outside to find rocks to use as chalk on the blackboard and by god you not only learned to read and write, but learned resourcefullness as well. Political gadflies also run for some local office in every election, and always finish 6th in a field of 7. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/36 "2009-02-18T03:49:31Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > “Beloved local figure.” If you’re “beloved” and “local” but the most descriptive noun they can think of is “figure,” you’re the crazy guy with the dreadlocked beard living under the downtown bridge who wears a cheerleader outfit and does pom-pom routines for passing cars. Even worse if you’re an “institution.” I am stealing this for my sig. My contribution is **the accused**. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/37 "2009-02-18T03:59:53Z")
Former bank CEO … ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/38 "2009-02-18T04:02:34Z")
“ **Former Illinois governor** ” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/39 "2009-02-18T04:07:07Z")
Between jobs… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/40 "2009-02-18T04:08:33Z")
“The center of an intense legal battle” is never a good place to be. Nobody ever wants to have the phrase “officially calling off the search” associated with them. And if your doctor uses the word “interesting” in describing your case, you’re in trouble. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=3)