2005's Politicall y In correc t Words/Phrases

[Laurence Horn]

At 9:00 AM -0500 12/23/05, RonButters at AOL.COM wrote:
>In a message dated 12/22/05 11:57:27 PM, laurence.horn at YALE.EDU writes:
>
>
>>  there's also "commando" (long before the popularization of the
>>  adverbial version, as in "going ___")
>>
>
>I don't personally have any negative connotations for "commando"--I remember
>it always being used for "our guys" in WWII.

right--that was my point.  One team's "terrorists" are the other
team's "commandos" (this predated "freedom fighters", I believe).
The Irgun (Menachem Begin's group), blowing up buildings and carrying
out selected assassinations as part of the movement to create a state
of Israel in the 40's, were "commandos", although the Brits probably
regarded them as "terrorists", if that term was in circulation at the
time.

Larry