"politics"

[ronbutters at AOL.COM]

What is so extraordinary about a minor metaphorical extension? And given the state of human poilitics, I'd call this an amelioration, not a pejoration!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Date:         Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:17:00
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject:      Re: [ADS-L] "politics"

I think we mentioned "cat politics" a few years back.

The new thing in this case is that the primatologists were evidently
employing it as the basic and obvious term for pongoid social interactions.

No need to conjecture on why they should think that, but the word has
clearly suffered an extraordinary semantic pejoration.

JL

On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 10:06 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "politics"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> This term is commonly used for dogs as well. I've heard more than one
> person refer to "doggy politics," referring to the maintenance of the
> pecking order at home and at the dog park. Though I don't recall hearing the
> term for felines, Google has some hits for both kitty and cat politics.
>
> You may see some low key squabbles, if you do just let them work things
> out, **kitty politics** is best observed just in case things get out of hand
> and intervention is required. (
> http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cats-1606/2009/1/Introducing-kitten-older-cat-1.htm
> )
>
> **Kitty politics** in my house and on the farm are major affairs of state.
> Even after all cats are spayed and neutered, hostilities still arise,
> pecking orders are established, and cats get hurt. (
> http://www.catcrossing.com/cat/cat.htm)
>
> Cat Politics
> Politics is “the art and science of political governance,” that is, of
> citizens. Even in their own home. Observe the resident cat....We have three.
> (http://blog.wgeo.org/2008/03/29/cat-politics/)
>
> BB
>
> On Jan 13, 2010, at 6:53 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "politics"
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Tonight's PBS show, "The Human Spark," discussed chimp behavior.
> >
> > The term regularly used by the primatologists to refer to interactions
> > within groups was "chimpanzee politics."
> >
> > This sense of "politics" went undefined except for a parallel use of
> > "manipulation" and "social scheming."
> >
> > It was indicated that chimps do not use "language" but do take part in
> > "politics."
> >
>
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