situation (was: issues; the X from Hell)

Mark A. Mandel mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU
Tue Dec 12 22:51:14 UTC 2006


Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
>>>

Similar to psychobabblish "issue" is the pejoration or adapting of the word
"situation" to mean 'crisis, dangerious development'. When I first started
noticing that usage on TV cop shows a few years ago, it seemed like (maybe)
a ploy to sound un-panicky in an urgent radio or telephone transmission.

<<<

It's used in C. J. Cherryh's Chanur trilogy (1984-1986).

m a m

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