Wag

[Peter A. McGraw]

It certainly isn't well-known to me.  I read the same quote and was puzzled
at his use of the word.  If it's an acronym, why wasn't it uppercased?
That would have given me a clue.

Peter Mc.

--On Friday, July 9, 2004 1:26 AM -0400 "Douglas G. Wilson"
<douglas at NB.NET> wrote:

> Here from AP ...
>
> http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040708/D83MSLSG2.html
>
> ... is the word "wag":
>
> <<Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq analyst with the Center for Strategic and
> International Studies, said the figure of 5,000 insurgents "was never more
> than a wag and is now clearly ridiculous.">>
>
> I believe I recognize it as an acronym for "wild ass[ed] guess". But is it
> well-known to all, so that it need not be defined/explained in the
> article?
>
> Is it in any dictionary?
>
> Should it be?
>
> -- Doug Wilson



*****************************************************************
Peter A. McGraw       Linfield College        McMinnville, Oregon
******************* pmcgraw at linfield.edu ************************