coincidentally = ironically = also

[Charles Doyle]

For anybody who missed The Daily Show last night, I recommend watching the early-evening rebroadcast tonight--specifically "our White House correspondent" John Oliver's hilarious satire of Bush and the Bushistas' orchestrated use of the phrase "embolden the enemy/terrorists" (that's what any expression of an opinion other than theirs will do, of course). I can't remember it all, but Oliver says criticism will "beweaken our troops," etc.

--Charlie
_________________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 13:38:56 -0500
>From: Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
>Subject: Re: coincidentally = ironically = also
>
>This follows the well-known rule that a word sounds fancier with extra syllables in front. Cf. "epicenter" = 'center', "penultimate" = 'ultimate', "quintessential" = 'essential', "juxtaposition" = 'position', etc.
>
>http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0509c&L=ads-l&D=0&P=20099
>
>
>--Ben Zimmer
>

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