"dirty war"
Jonathan Lighter
wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM
Sat Nov 11 23:08:00 UTC 2006
Somewhat earlier. Note context:
1967 U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. _Harrison E. Salisbury's Trip to North Vietnam: Hearing ... 90-1_ (Feb. 2, 1967) 74: _ [Gen.] Earle G. Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, referred to the conflict as a "dirty little war." While the Vietnam conflict may be even dirtier now than it was in 1963, it can no longer be termed little.
And earlier still:
1965 _Saturday Eve. Post_ 10: There were few formal battles or engagements [in the Korean War]. It was a dirty little war, and the worst part of it was the feeling that no one really cared.
1952 _Time_ (Jan. 21) [Time.com]: When, in December 1950, De Lattre was called upon to redeem French honor in the jungles of Indo-China, few Frenchmen had much faith in the "dirty little war."
And how 'bout ministers pledging a "dirty war" for a "clean city"?:
1946 _N.Y. Times_ (Nov. 11) 28: Ohio Town Pledges "Dirty War" on Crime...The Steubenville Ministerial Association oday declared "war, a dirty war, to the hilt" against political corruption, crime and vice in this steel town at a rally of the "Citizens' Committee for a Clean City," attended by 1,600.
"Ruthlessness" seems to be the key factor.
JL
---------------------------------
Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited.
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list