A gentleman and a scholar

Posted by RRC on September 20, 2008 at 18:17

In Reply to: A gentleman and a scholar posted by Victoria S Dennis on September 20, 2008 at 14:40:

: : Where did the saying "A gentleman and a scholar" originate from, other than Robert Burns' poem 'Twa Dogs'?

: It's not really a saying as such. To be born a gentleman is good; to have studied to become a scholar, likewise. To be both a gentleman *and* a scholar was, for centuries, an acknowledged ideal. Wordsworth, for example, speaks of "scholars and gentlemen". (VSD)

I'd say it is a saying (or at least part of one). People say "You're a scholar and a gentleman" or "You're a gentleman and a scholar" as a form of a complimentary (or ironic) "thank you" and sometimes add something along the lines "and there are very few of us left!" to include themselves in the compliment.

• A gentleman and a scholar Smokey Stover 21/September/08