A General Comment

Point of personal privilege.

I always hate when people (usually Republicans, though in fairness not only) refer to the Attorney General -- or even when the occasion arises, the Surgeon General -- as “General,” which gives the person the imprimatur of power, honor and respectability.  A general!!!  That’s what Republicans, as they so often do, did here today with “General Barr.”  The subtext being, how dare anyone where dare question the reputation of General Barr?!!  Because he is A General.  In fact, the Attorney General is not a general.  “General” is an adjective.  It is to describe the person in question as being an attorney in general who oversees all other attorneys under him whatever their own specific field.  The plural of Attorney General is not “Attorney Generals,” it is “Attorneys General.”  That’s because “general” is an adjective.