"Pre-owned,""near miss," "s/he"

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 9/28/01 8:44:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
tharriso at MAIL.MACONSTATE.EDU writes:

> "Near miss" looks like it ought to mean that someone almost missed
>  something but hit it after all, while it was used to mean that someone
>  almost hit something but missed it after all.

No, "near-miss" has a more precise meaning than you think.  "Near-miss" is
used to refer to explosive devices (bombs, artillery shells) which do not hit
the target but which explode nearby, so "near" that the target is damaged,
perhaps seriously.

That is, a "miss" but "near" enough to be damaging.

The usage dates to at least the early days of World War II and I think was
originally naval---from the beginning of World War II ships were damaged and
occasionally sunk by aircraft bombs that missed the ship but exploded at a
near enough range to be deadly.

                  -- Jim Landau