Ask Lemmy

Inmate number is most appropriate

Emily Post says:

When addressing a former President of the United States in a formal setting, the correct form is “Mr. LastName.” (“President LastName” or “Mr. President” are terms reserved for the current head of state.) This is true for other ex-officials, as well. When talking about the person to a third party, on the other hand, it’s appropriate to say, “former President LastName.” This holds for introductions, as well: A current state governor is introduced as “Governor Tom Smith,” while you’d introduce an ex-governor as “former Governor Jim Bell.”

The Defendant

I believe “Cunt” applies to the last one. Mr or President, take your pick.

Depends on if he’s a demented rapist traitor or not.

Hey asshole!

The current President is "President ".

Former presidents are "Mr. " or "Former President " depending on the context in which they are being referred to.

Anybody still calling Obama or Trump "president" are just virtue signaling.

If it's Donald Trump, the proper way to address him is:

🖕🖕

Everyone else is "Mr. President."

:stares in Australian:

We don't address people by their job title here, and we'd laugh in your face if you insisted on it.

Perhaps a small exception for 'doctor', but that's acknowledging the doctorate, not the job.

I'm partial to

Hey! Bitch!

depends. normally "former president X", but if they have been impeached then you say "IMPEACHED former president X" unless they lost the popular vote then its "UNPOPULAR IMPEACHED former president X" unless they lost an election like a one termer then its "ONE TERM LOSER UNPOPULAR IMPEACHED former president X". Its important to be accurate.

In Finland, even former presidents are addressed as President so and so.

However they wish to be addressed. Nothing in properness or etiquette is necessarily objective. If I was president, I'd let you use my actual name.

I know it's not "correct" but I would just call them Mr/Mrs, they aren't president any more.

IIRC customarily a former president of the United States of America is still addressed as, “Mr. President.” In written form such as a news article I think it would be “former-president Clinton” or “former-president George H. W. Bush” if you need to distinguish between two presidents with the same last name, and subsequent references would be to “Mr. Clinton” or “Mr. Bush” as long as there’s no ambiguity, but I would defer to whatever style guide applies to your writing. I’m pretty sure that’s covered in the AP Stylebook and that’s as good an authority as any for US English. I have an old copy somewhere but it’s not easily accessible right now.

“2020 election loser”

Depends on the context and how conservative you are (in the sense of tradition for tradition, not politics or anything else). Tradition holds that you call someone at that level of elected office by their previous title. If you want to break with tradition, you can call them whatever you want. You didn’t sign any legally binding agreements that say you have to call someone a fancy title. This holds for judges, doctors, and other people that think random chance and living their life gives them a special name that you don’t get.

Depends on the president. The current one I'd go with "heya Joe" but the former one I'd go with "hey jackass."

Individual 1

War criminal

Fuckface?

Mr president. Unless it's 45, in which case you may start with insurrectionist rapist criminal.

Traditionally it should be a kick to the groin but in these less formal times a middle finger or simple "fuck off" is perfectly acceptable.

I address current president as Mr. so the question is kinda moot.

Mister President, President ___, or Mr. ___ all work. The Honorable ___ also works but is less common.