Dear Editor:

I often wondered when I read the papers on why the expression is used to describe the use of the caption "the late" when describing the condition of a person who has died. And how long do you have to use it before the phase is dropped.Do we say the Late President George Washington or Just President Washington when everyone knows he's dead.A librarian for a state college says, "When late is used in reference to a person, it means that he was alive not long ago but is now; recently deceased. So late in a sense means in the recent past. If one spouse died 20 years before, he would be dead or deceased, but not certainly late. I hope you understand cause I sure don't.Recently in the news media we heard a quote "ask not what your country" as being attributed to and by President Kennedy.Well, much to my chagrin he did not coin the phrase but everyone thought he did. Check this out. It was Marcus Cicero the famous Roman politician who is really credited saying this almost 2,000 years before President Kennedy borrowed it for his inauguration speech. It is said that Cicero "borrowed it" from a contemporary poet from his time. So I guess Joe Biden and John F. Kennedy have good company in "borrowing" catchy sayings that are NOT referenced to the original source. Time to change and correct all the stone monuments.I dialed a number recently and got the following recording, "I'm not available right now, but I thank you for calling. I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message at the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.Just thinking.From the pen of K Treger,Lehighton, Pa.