Je recuse

[Jocelyn Limpert]

RB cites a dictionary entry with "excuse oneself" to back up his point that
it doesn't mean that -- what sense does that make, pray tell?

jl

On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 6:08 AM, Ronald Butters <ronbutters at aol.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Ronald Butters <ronbutters at AOL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Je recuse
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Wrong again. There is no difference between withdrawing oneself so as to =
> avoid the appearance of bias and excluding oneself so as to avoid bias! =
> My point was (and still is) that it does not merely mean "excuse oneself =
> for whatever reason."
>
> Moreover, one recuses oneself not so much to "avoid the appearance of =
> bias" as to avoid the danger of bias.
>
> Here is what the New Oxford American Dictionary says:
>
> re=95cuse  v. [trans.] challenge (a judge, prosecutor,
> or juror) as unqualified to perform legal duties
> because of a possible conflict of interest or lack of impartiality:
> a motion to recuse the prosecutor.
>  (recuse oneself) (of a judge) excuse oneself from a
> case because of a possible conflict of interest or lack
> of impartiality: the Justice Department demanded that
> he recuse himself from the case.
>
> Note that in the reflexive sense (which is the only one we have been =
> talking about here) JL's "challenge someone as disqualified," is =
> irrelevant.
>
>
> On Oct 6, 2010, at 9:49 PM, Jocelyn Limpert wrote:
>
> > Recuse does not mean exclude. It is to challenge someone as =
> disqualified,
> > especially because of interest or bias, or to withdraw oneself so as =
> to
> > avoid the appearance of bias.
> >=20
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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