"recrimination"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Jerry asked me to forward what follows.  Just before I read his note it
occurred to me that "recrimination" might mean something like "personally
expressed post-mortem," but I think Jerry may be still closer to what was
meant:


From: Cohen, Gerald Leonard
Sent: Thu 6/25/2009 10:34 AM
To: American Dialect Society
Subject: RE: "recrimination" = lachrymose apology?


Not so much "lachrymose apology" as "self-flagellation." If
"self-incrimination" is possible, perhaps (by extending the meaning of
"recrimination") we can also have "(self)-recriminations."

Gerald Cohen

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