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Does anyone have any information on this phrase?
It occurs to me, Maverick, that there could be an explanation for the variations between "scholar and gentleman" and "gentleman and scholar" which has nothing to do with geography. The writer or speaker could simply be indicating which of the two attributes, scholar or gentlemen, he esteems most highly in the person he is honoring.
Many can achieve a distinguished reputation as a "gentleman" - it is more of a habit or a cultivated taste than an art - but few can achieve a reputation as a distinguished scholar.
I'm not exactly sure what a "gentleman" is, let alone a "perfect gentleman", but if Einstein was a distinguished gentleman in Robert Burns' day, even Robert Burns would call him a "scholar and a gentleman".
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