camp, n.

[Jonathan Lighter]

OED 8b: "The position in which ideas or beliefs are intrenched and
strongly defended."  1872-1958.

1958 ex.:  "The world is in fact divided into two camps, Communist and
anti-Communist, with a number of uncommitted nations standing on the
sidelines."

I'm not sure that "position" is the best word here, at least not by
itself. But more to the point, I don't believe the def. does justice
to the long-standing journalistic "camp," which very specifically
means a 'partisan political organization, esp. as constituted during a
political campaign.'

Even this may be broadening further. In ref. to Herman Cain's alleged
activities, CNN referred to (essentially) "reply from the Byalik
camp." That means Ms. Byalik's attorney. While that usage sort of fits
the OED def., it seems to me to be rather more concrete (specific
people rather than a "position") as well as carrying far less of an
implication that Byalik's "position" is based on an "idea" or a
"belief." It is based, rather, on a claim - true or false - of
objective fact.

If an umpire sez "Yer out!" and I say "He's safe, you ------ !" does
that put us in opposite "camps"?  I think that would be stretch. (I
avoided making a baseball pun there.)

Picky picky.

JL






--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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