The word “unbecoming” has been wielded by authors over the centuries as a sharp critique of behavior, appearance, or even emotions that stray from established ideals of propriety and decorum. Classic works such as Fielding’s Joseph Andrews ([1]) and Napoleon’s Letters to Josephine ([2]) use it to denounce conduct that fails to meet societal expectations. Philosophers like Plato repeatedly employ the term to stress that certain actions or traits are unworthy of the ideal character, as seen in multiple passages ([3], [4], [5], [6], [7]), while other literary figures extend its use to comment on aesthetics and manners—whether it is describing an untimely display of emotion in Oscar Wilde and Cicero ([8], [9], [10], [11]) or critiquing inappropriate dress and behavior in works by Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and Florence Hartley ([12], [13], [14], [15]). In each instance, “unbecoming” serves as a succinct literary marker that condemns deviations from the expected standard of refinement, signaling that what is being acted, said, or worn does not befit the honor or dignity traditionally associated with its subject.