operativeness

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Mar 7, 2009, at 11:54 AM, Doug Kenter wrote:

> from the nytimes:
>
> “I’m the, as I said, loyal opposition,” Mr. McCain, Republican of
> Arizona, proclaimed this week. “And both words, I think, are
> operative.”
>
> can both words be operative?  or are all words always operative?

various dictionaries give several senses for "operative", including a
use for words, picking out the word "having the most relevance or
significance in a phrase or sentence" (NOAD2) -- in which use it
couldn't pick out two (or more) words.

however, the OED has an subentry noting that "operative" has a
relatively recent (cites from 1962, 1979, and 1990) extended sense:

"In weakened sense (without reference to specific activity or
production): significant, important."

and that would fit the McCain quote.

arnold

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