exertion = exercise?

[Joel S. Berson]

One of the two primary senses of "exertion" in the OED is "2. The
action or habit of exerting or putting into active operation (an
organ, the faculties, or habit of the body or mind); the action of
exercising or putting in force (power, a principle). Also an instance
of this. Const. of."

The Bush action sounds like exercising a principle (however misguided) to me.

Joel

At 11/13/2008 07:57 PM, Alison Murie wrote:
>     "The Bush administration overstepped in its exertion of executive
>privilege, and may very well try to continue to shield information
>from the American people after it leaves office," said Senator Sheldon
>Whitehouse.........
>This looks logical, but it isn't the usual usage, surely?
>AM
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org