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Here is what I find [interesting] about this word. It's meaning keeps changing over time, effectively downgrading the expectations of a gentleman to reflect societies changing expectations (lowering expectations).

The first use and meaning of "gentleman" is number 1 below, which is completely obsolete and out of use for about 200 years.

Numbers 2 through 4 are still in use with older generations today, but are foreign concepts to young people under 30 IMO.

People under 30 today don't (IMO) even know what a gentleman is, but the word still exists and the [Andrew Dice Clay] joke about it reflects a funny, and possibly realistic new standard of what a young gentleman is today. It's sad, but also funny too. May as well enjoy the laughs where we can.

1) A man who is gentry, nobility (but not royalty), upperclass.

2) A civilized, educated, sensitive, well-mannered man AND he has high [social standing]. That's a high standard. Probably the standard back in the days of my [great grandparents] and before.

3) Since lowered to mean any of the qualities of number 2, but no longer requires all of them.

4) A man of good behavior who is considerate of others. This is the definition my grandmother taught me.

5) A modern "gentleman" today is (as the trend continues) held to a lower, ever more modest standard than before.

I'll give a couple examples of a modern day young "gentleman".

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