FW: note on assassination

[David Barnhart]

As it happens, "especially a hired emissary ." is not reserved for the OED
treatment.  It is also in the definition in the Century Dictionary.  The
World Book Dictionary (more to the point about prominence) says "especially,
a public personage."  MW11 says "usu. a prominent person".



I agree that, in my usage, _assassination_ is mostly a crime prompted by
political expediency (e.g. Booth and Lincoln), not the local constabulary
during the execution of a crime, which appears to be more as an afterthought
than by stealthy planning.  ACD (1947) says by "premeditation".



Regards,

David

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