[geodeticman.5]

RM and BILLW -

My connotation of gentry - which I'd add I have only read previously, never heard spoken aloud, until Gord sang it, notably in Don Quixote

as:

See the children of the earth, who wake to find the table bare
See the gentry in the country, riding off to take the air

as noted above,

and it seems to me the term gentry, by my connotation personally would mean the large, somewhat wealthy outlying large tract or Estate owners rather, refer to what normal folk like you and I call going outside for some fresh air, or "I'm gonna get some air... in the rarified, pristeen world of the blue-blood and well-heeled, often this seems to be called 'taking the air"

so much for connotations - I'll look right now at the denotation in webster's -

phew boy get this, from Merriam Webster's On-line free version dictionary:

Main Entry: gen·try
Pronunciation: \ˈjen-trē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural gentries
Etymology: Middle English gentrie, alteration of gentrise
Date: 14th century
1 aobsolete : the qualities appropriate to a person of gentle birth; especially : courtesy b: the condition or rank of a gentleman
2 a: upper or ruling class : aristocracy b: a class whose members are entitled to bear a coat of arms though not of noble rank; especially : the landed proprietors having such status
3: people of a specified class or kind : folks <no real heroes or heroines among the academic gentry — R. G. Hanvey>

lol re:
1. boy I hope my birth was gentle - my mother was unconscious
2. my family has a coat of arms, but I fear I am not entitled to bear it,
and am not of noble rank to be sure.... dang it.....
3. Knowing the unique elitism that can be found in Academia, certainly not always - I taught here and there......its interesting to note that there are officially no heroes among the acadaemia, and perhaps us "folks" are a "kind" of people hmm ? and 'folk" -music . Ir would appear the academic GENTRY do not "officially recognize" HEROS OR HEROINES.

Well Pilgrim, I have my heros - 1.My father, 2. one rare professor that pushed me to my absolute limit.... and I would say I have my career as it were, thanks to the rare intuition this professor had of knowing on an individual level just how far he could push a person - homework to 5 am.... type of prof.... you curse them in school days, you thank them in your career progress. But was he "gentry" - not hardly. this fellow wore a buck knife, leather jacket, and snake boots. My knowledge-base academic and professional hero indeed. The man is a genius.

My personal hero - my father was a genius - I wish I had half his brains.....lol...then I'd be a half-wit... lol....esteemed in his field among colleagues, awarded meritoriously by his country in the space program.... but was he aristocracy or gentry ? Not hardly. He was a regular guy, singularly wise, a man of few words... but people listened when he spoke.... so smart it must have hurt in that brainpan..... CU's IQ tests could not define him, so he was asked to write a new test... and did... Not me.....my Dad....ta go...

Gentry turned out if real interest to me.....thanks RM

~geo steve