# "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:** 5
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/81 "2009-02-19T02:01:37Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > “Once promising” Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first call “promising”. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/82 "2009-02-19T05:46:55Z")
partly recovered ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/83 "2009-02-19T06:01:07Z")
Former husband of pop diva Madonna. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/84 "2009-02-19T06:39:33Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > Did I miss “person of interest”? See, there’s this thing we like to call the “OP,” or “original post.” Such a post usually comes at the very beginning of a thread, and is the one that starts the whole thing off… 😃 More to the list (with full acknowledgment that I could be writing down something I just read in this thread, but completely forgot that I just read; I do that sometimes - and worse, sometimes I think in that moment of forgetfulness/self-delusion that I just made it up, and boy is it a good idea): “intense manhunt” “former Presidential candidate” (because really, if that’s the most memorable thing about you, how often does that turn out well?) “much maligned” “as dramatized in the made for TV movie…” (or worse, “several TV movies”) ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/85 "2009-02-19T08:23:06Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > In a similar vein “colourful racing identity”. 😕 Can you please explain this for the non-Aussie Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/86 "2009-02-19T10:13:25Z")
“Usual suspect” “Unsuspecting xxx” “A warning to others” “Sheep f\*\*\*\*r” Hi **Hal**! “Phenotype” ---
**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 19, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/87 "2009-02-19T10:35:01Z")
“partially consumed” “subject of the controversial pardon” “consumed in the fireball” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/88 "2009-02-19T13:43:19Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “partially consumed” If we’re allowing physical descriptions, you have to admit that this, as well as the following phrases, are definitely less desirable than somehting like “died peacefully in her/his sleep”: “Decapitated” “In a hail of bullets” “Explosively decompressed” “Gnawed on by his dogs” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/89 "2009-02-19T14:20:52Z")
**Three-time loser** (U.S. usage; in some states a thrice-convicted felon gets an automatic life sentence). “Search teams fanned out across the countryside” (the terms “necrosearch” and “body-sniffing dogs” are ones you don’t want to appear in stories about your disappearance). “Full rigor” is not so good either. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/90 "2009-02-19T15:03:31Z")
. . . cautionary tale partially clad . . . ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/91 "2009-02-19T16:37:22Z")
strangely enough **still recognisable** and \*\*unrecognisable \*\*are both words I would not like to have near my name ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/92 "2009-02-19T16:40:45Z")
and I don’t want to be know as “of uncertain gender” thank you very much! ---
**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 19, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/93 "2009-02-19T16:49:50Z")
I don’t have anything to contribute, but just want to say that this is one of the most morbid yet funny threads I’ve read! > [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > and I don’t want to be know as “of uncertain gender” > thank you very much! Can I use that as a sig? ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/94 "2009-02-19T17:11:41Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > ‘helping police with their enquiries’ Or, similarly, “cooperating fully with police.” ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/95 "2009-02-19T17:24:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Can I use that as a sig? Including the “Originally Posted by willthekittensurvive?” cool! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/96 "2009-02-19T17:36:52Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If we’re allowing physical descriptions, you have to admit that this, as well as the following phrases, are definitely less desirable than somehting like “died peacefully in her/his sleep”: > > “Decapitated” > > “In a hail of bullets” > > “Explosively decompressed” > > “Gnawed on by his dogs” Some musician friends of mine got a record deal in the nineties, and were in the middle of recording an album when they saw an headline in the local newspaper that was so memorable they decided to use it as the album titile: **Mutilation Makes Identification Difficult** ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/97 "2009-02-19T21:10:13Z")
“Following her [number]th DUI/drug possession charge…” In the same vein as what pravnik suggested, I think “Once beloved” isn’t something to aspire to, either. The “once” makes it clear that you’ve screwed up along the way, and everyone knows it. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/98 "2009-02-19T21:32:46Z")
“Jackson, 68, was preceded in death by his wife, Emily; their six chidren; all seventeen of their grandchildren; and all four of their great-grandchildren.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/99 "2009-02-19T22:05:31Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > I am stealing this for my sig. > Robin You have my permission, so long as I can count on your vote in the next mayoral election. HRH pravnik I Emperor of Texas and Protector of Mexico ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/100 "2009-02-19T22:36:25Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > You have my permission, so long as I can count on your vote in the next mayoral election. > > HRH pravnik I > Emperor of Texas and Protector of Mexico Be happy to. Do you have Rick Perry hair? Robin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=6)