Je recuse.

[David A. Daniel]

But wait. Recuse has a specific meaning. It means the judge removes himself,
or is removed, from a case due to potential or actual conflict of interest.
Kagan just recused herself from some 25 Supreme Court because she, as
solicitor general, was the one who filed them. The reporter who used this to
mean 'excused himself' was, as you say and as Wilson lamented, trying to use
some half-understood legalese. (Or does everybody know this already and I
missed a smiley face somewhere?)
DAD


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 10:42 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Je recuse.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---

Yeah, but it's got to be like the same thing as "excused himself," right? I
mean it's obvious. Judges excuse themselves but we call it recuse
themselves. Because it's court.  It's like more official.

JL

On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 8:57 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Je recuse.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
>
> On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 7:39 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > CNN reports that Dr. William Petit _"recused himself" from the courtroo=
m_
> > rather than
> > endure the most graphic testimony in the trial of Steven Hayes.
> >
>
> Would that there were a way to keep legal jargon out of the mouths of
> those familiar with it only from  TV cop-operas.
>
> --
> -Wilson
> =96=96=96
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"=96=96a strange complaint t=
o
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> =96Mark Twain
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



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