kinetic

[Ben Zimmer]

On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 4:50 AM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
> If you go to the video to about 2:51 mark, you will see and hear two
> weasels in terminological heat.
>
> http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201103250045
>
> Luntz claims he's never heard "kinetic". Hannity mentioned "kinetic" at
> 2:47, which is what set Luntz off. But Luntz's "explanation" of what he
> thinks "kinetic" means is completely idiotic.
>
> Wasn't "kinetic" mentioned here a couple of weeks ago?

"Kinetic event" was the winner in the Most Euphemistic category in the
2010 ADS WOTY voting (defined on the nomination list as "Pentagon term
for violent attacks on troops in Afghanistan"). Jonathan Lighter
brought it up here in September:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1009B&L=ADS-L&P=R6716

--bgz

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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