# "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:** 8
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/141 "2009-02-23T14:52:46Z")
Being “al-Qaeda’s second-in-command” isn’t a formula to follow if you want to live a long and happy life. Robin ---
**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 23, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/142 "2009-02-23T21:01:41Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Being “al-Qaeda’s second-in-command” isn’t a formula to follow if you want to live a long and happy life. Either that or the guy’s immortal and they need to send some special forces guys with swords to chop his head off. “One hit wonder” ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/143 "2009-02-23T21:12:22Z")
Former spouse of Britney Spears. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/144 "2009-02-25T14:06:04Z")
Footballs hard man…Dirty player. After the defendant has been aquitted,the police are not continuing with the investigation…He’s guilty as hell and got off on a technicality. A larger then life,boisterous character…A yob. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/145 "2009-02-25T20:52:34Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Fair enough Paris. Can’t it at least be Nicky? She fights crime at the[IHOP](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29354575/)! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/146 "2009-02-26T00:27:42Z")
“ **Armed and dangerous** ” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/147 "2009-02-26T01:20:28Z")
“After his failed world-record attempt…” “during a stunt gone horribly wrong…” “Best known as the runner-up of the VH1 reality show…” ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/148 "2009-02-26T01:34:27Z")
**Summoned before a Grand Jury** ---
**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 26, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/149 "2009-02-26T01:58:47Z")
"self proclaimed ‘Emperor of the World’ " “human guinea pig” “\<\* name\>\* the Mad” “costumed criminal” ( especially bad if you AREN’T a comic book character . . . ) ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/150 "2009-02-26T06:36:32Z")
My roommates and I were utterly bored one evening and watching some dumb reality show. In the beginning they were interviewing each of the contestants, and in the bottom left corner it’d display their name and a brief descriptor, usually their occupation. One girl’s description was simply “College Graduate”. I don’t know about anyone else, but if “College Graduate” is all they would be able to come up with for me, I would be pretty disappointed with myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/151 "2009-02-26T14:43:47Z")
IMHO the “history of mental illness” comment wasn’t so much pejorative as something one wouldn’t want to have suffered. Some of these other comments, for example, “identified by dental records,” indicate a fate that’s not stigmatized but still unpleasant enough one wouldn’t want to be described in such a way. I’m sure sufferers of mental illness would rather not be sufferers. On-topic: “Laughingstock” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/152 "2009-02-26T14:52:08Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > IMHO the “history of mental illness” comment wasn’t so much pejorative as something one wouldn’t want to have suffered. Some of these other comments, for example, “identified by dental records,” indicate a fate that’s not stigmatized but still unpleasant enough one wouldn’t want to be described in such a way. I’m sure sufferers of mental illness would rather not be sufferers. > > On-topic: > > “Laughingstock” I think it has more to do with the fact of when it would be brought up. You won’t see, “Sailboat, who has a history of mental illness, won SDMB Poster of the Year.” You will see, “The suspect has been identified as Sailboat, who has a history of mental illness.” It’s shorthand for “He did it because his fucking nuts”. ---
**Author:** ![Alastair\_Moonsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@Alastair\_Moonsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alastair_Moonsong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/153 "2009-02-26T18:08:53Z")
“…still glowing…” probably couldn’t mean anything good. “…covered in lash marks…” “…bound and gagged…” ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/154 "2009-02-26T20:02:40Z")
> [@Alastair\_Moonsong](#): > > “…still glowing…” probably couldn’t mean anything good. > > “…covered in lash marks…” > > “…bound and gagged…” actually all three could describe the morning after a epic one-night stand ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/155 "2009-02-26T22:06:04Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > Multiple. Multiple what? Doesn’t matter. > > As Terry Pratchett says, nothing good ever comes after “multiple.” Stab wounds, sclerosis, personality disorder, trauma, … Actually, “multiple” is OK if it’s soon followed by “award winning”. But it’s bad again if “award” is preceded by “Darwin” ---
**Author:** ![Alastair\_Moonsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3e96dc/32.png) [@Alastair\_Moonsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alastair_Moonsong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/156 "2009-02-26T23:02:28Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > actually all three could describe the morning after a epic one-night stand Oh, they most definitely could. But I still sure as hell wouldn’t wanna be described as such in the papers… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/157 "2009-02-27T04:06:56Z")
I would hate to have the word “ironically” in my obituary. ---
**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 27, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/158 "2009-02-27T11:23:06Z")
“Lovecraftian” “rotting” “parasitized” “war criminal” “targeted” ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/159 "2009-02-27T13:14:55Z")
Officials say **he believed he was chatting online with a 13-year-old girl/boy** , but was, in fact, talking with a state police detective. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293/160 "2009-02-28T17:13:50Z")
**bludgeoned**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/known-to-police-and-other-ways-you-dont-want-to-be-described/486293.md?page=9)