When I introduce a person who has been a President in the past, I say this is "former" President, Mr. so and so.
I'm thinking that "former" sounds much nicer than something that's undesirable or unwanted, such as an EX-con or an EX-husband! (LOL!)
I was recently told that the proper way to introduce him was "EX-President"!
Can anyone offer any explanation as to why this may be correct.
************************************************************** 02-26-03, 07:36 AM Elexina "Former" is a lot more polite.
02-26-03, 07:51 AM methos I don't actually know what is correct, but I can't remember ever hearing a former/ex-US president referred to as anything but former (in a respectful context anyway... there is the SNL cartoon).
02-26-03, 08:22 AM Lydia you can actually use either... former would simply mean having been in the past. When we hear the term ex, we often think of it taking on a derogatory connotation, but when used as a prefix, "ex" simply means former...
I don't think you'd be wrong using either...but you are correct "former" just sounds nicer..
02-26-03, 09:17 AM maiku It may be worth observing, though, what the preferred usage is when some celebrity, a Hollywood star, say, remarries one of her previous husbands. At this happy juncture, the fortunate groom can only be called the new bride's former ex. None of the other possibilities (such as ex ex) has ever, to my knowledge, ever been used. Wink
02-26-03, 03:24 PM Georgia85 You can always introduce him as "our OLD president" LOL Or you can merely say he is the "previous" president. But I agree, ex does come across with a negative tone.
02-26-03, 05:18 PM FredPuli It would be agreeable to call any such individual 'president emeritus' .This charming practice remains now to show respect to professors who have retired; allowed to keep the title Professor they are styled 'Professor emeritus' or ' emeritus Professor'. Emeritus means ' having earned his honourable discharge (through service)'.I suppose even this might be hotly debated in the case of certain presidents though; such is political or business life!
02-26-03, 08:52 PM DvdGStwrt It would depend on how you feel about the person. As you pointed out, 'ex' has bad connotations to it, it reflects something negative.
'Former' is more polite and shows respect for the 'Former' Person, ie Former President.
Miss Manners would always use 'Former' even if it is a Former-Husband whom she didn't agree with on all points.
Cheers
David
02-26-03, 10:31 PM Tree Well thank you all for your input!
The person who steered my to the "EX" decision, had an explanation, but I was too shocked to remember it!
I will ask again.. and post her reasoning! (??)
Gotta find her first!
03-03-03, 06:05 PM cattywampus Wow. Just think, Robert Blake's wife would have to say, "My ex, my exex, my exexex, my exexexex." clear up to "my exexexexexexexexexexe!" Be glad you're not her!
Catty Eek
03-04-03, 11:43 AM FredPuli Not always Catty . Some of us give them regnal numbers. I have ExI and Ex II so far. Well, one likes to have some sense of history !.
03-04-03, 03:10 PM FredPuli Regnal means 'of or pertaining to a reign or monarch', Catty. The regnal number is the VIII in Henry VIII or the II in Elizabeth II, for example, and indicates their place in a sequence. Actually my numbering is closer to the system used in the US than to ours for this . You number your presidents in sequence so the present one has a formal title of 'The 43rd President of the United States'. We number by position in the list of monarchs using the same name. Now, this is odd. Can you see what President George W Bush would be, doing it that way ? Exactly. George III ( Washington would be George I, and George Bush Sr George II ). Does he, by any weird chance, have any similarities at all to that king or are they not similar in any way ?
03-04-03, 06:15 PM cattywampus Thank you, Fred, I had never heard of that word before. I'm sure it has a lot of meaning/usage in King George II land, but not so much here.
Catty Big Grin
03-28-03, 10:01 PM cattywampus The simple answer is, "former" is formal English and "ex" is informal, or even colloquial, like "hon," "babycakes," and "you rotten bustard!" if you're talking to a bird.
Catty Cool
03-29-03, 02:54 AM FredPuli 'If you're talking to a bird', eh, Catty ? You are confusing me, at least.It may explain something though. The bustard is extinct over here. Attempts have been made to reintroduce the great bustard to Ministry of Defence land, including firing ranges, on the basis that none is going to get hit by 'friendly fire' (our army is not that technologically advanced yet).I see now how it happened. British soldiers on joint exercise with Americans have been talking of some unpopular group (sergeant majors ?)and saying what sounded to the Americans like 'There's no talking to them. I wish someone would shoot the bustards' and the Americans, in a spirit of goodwill have gone out and shot them all.And I thought the only confusion was over the spelling of 'defence' !
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