The Late ______________

[MacVittie]

Where does the phrase "the late so-and-so" come from? What are they late for? I just heard Larry King mention "the late Henry Ford" when he's been dead for decades. You never hear anyone talk about the late Cleopatra or the late Thomas Jefferson.

[styckx]

It's one of the definitions of it. Why? No idea, just is.

Definitions of late on the Web:

* being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time; "late evening"; "late 18th century"; "a late movie"; "took a ...
* belated: after the expected or usual time; delayed; "a belated birthday card"; "I'm late for the plane"; "the train is late"; "tardy children are sent to the principal"; "always tardy in making dental appointments"
* late(a): of the immediate past or just previous to the present time; "a late development"; "their late quarrel"; "his recent trip to Africa"; "in recent months"; "a recent issue of the journal"
* later than usual or than expected; "the train arrived late"; "we awoke late"; "the children came late to school"; "notice came so tardily that we almost missed the deadline"; "I belatedly wished her a happy birthday"
* late(a): having died recently; "her late husband"
* deep: to an advanced time; "deep into the night"; "talked late into the evening"
* of a later stage in the development of a language or literature; used especially of dead languages; "Late Greek"
* at an advanced age or stage; "she married late"; "undertook the project late in her career"
* at or toward an end or late period or stage of development; "the late phase of feudalism"; "a later symptom of the disease"; "later medical science could have saved the child"
* recently: in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"

[cougarjake13]

why not just say recently dead or deceased

[ToiletCrusher]

Maybe they keep calling these people "the late" blank because the keep trying to book them for the show and don't realize that death is the reason why they aren't showing up on time.

[drjoek]

It is short for "late of this world" a formal English term I believe

[Hottub]

Check out the big brain on Doc!

[drjoek]

Check out the big brain on Doc!

I knew those minors in Romance languages and Victorian Literature would come in handy some day.

[ToiletCrusher]

I knew those minors in Romance languages and Victorian Literature would come in handy some day.

Ooh, fancy man with more than one minor.