On the front page of Wednesday’s Press Herald, in a reference to an article in the Food & Dining section, you blatantly misuse the word “Reverend” as a noun (“Signature Dish: Reverend’s recipe keeps sons connected – all 13 of them”).

That word is an adjective and as such needs at least one other modifier: “The Rev. Mr. (Ms./Mrs.).” Using it as a noun is roughly similar to calling an M.D. “Medical John Jones.”

If you want a noun for a clergyperson, please use “clergyman” or “clergywoman,” “minister,” “priest,” “pastor,” etc. (“Rev. Jones” is also not acceptable. Check it out in virtually any dictionary!)

Misusing “Reverend” this way is not only offensive to many but also makes our paper look like a small-town weekly (many of which, as a matter of fact, use the title correctly).

Harold Hopkins

Scarborough


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