kinetic

[Jonathan Lighter]

No.

JL

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 11:54 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: kinetic
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Isn't it still a euphemism for "violent"?
> DanG
>
> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Jonathan Lighter
>  <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>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: kinetic
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > The status quo of kinetic:
> >
> > A strategy expert on CNN reports that Gaddafi's resignation is "the only
> > non-military, non-kinetic solution" to the Libyan situation.
> >
> > Since she clearly mentions the word "military" in the phrase, this use of
> > "kinetic" is, once again, not euphemistic. It's just trendy. It seems to
> > mean, in line with the original "kinetic event" collocation, "involving
> > military violence."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 3:15 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> > >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: kinetic
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I watched Fox regularly and exclusively for eight years because I liked
> > > their style and endless battling heads. In 2008 I quit because I could
> no
> > > longer stomach the sarcasm and innuendo. (And let's just say that Obama
> > had
> > > not been my first choice.)
> > >
> > > But sometimes I give a quick look. Last week I was in time to hear an
> > > anchor ask in amazement, "American planes are bombing Libya. But [_look
> > of
> > > dismay_] where's the President????"
> > >
> > > (He was on a state visit to Brazil, surrounded by aides and cell
> phones.)
> > >
> > > Again, Steve "I'm Just a Big Lovable Kid" Doocy says, "At 3 in the
> > morning,
> > > Obama was wakened by the phone call on the Japanese earthquake and
> > tsunami
> > > that have cost thousands of lives. What did he do next day? [_Flat,
> > > cynical_] He played golf."
> > >
> > > At the height of the Vietnam War, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon did
> > not
> > > get that kind of crap from the "mainstream media," and despite its
> > > endless self-serving claims, Fox News is mainstream.
> > >
> > > Sorry for the nonlinguistic digression.
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > > Subject:      Re: kinetic
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > "kinetic" as "moving, changing", from "kinetic energy", the energy of
> > > > motion?
> > > >
> > > > Joel
> > > >
> > > > At 3/26/2011 11:30 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > > >A commentator on CNN describes operations against Libya as "a
> kinetic
> > > > >military event."
> > > > >
> > > > >In this instance, it's simply a pretentious, redundant description
> > (with
> > > > >"kinetic" essentially meaning "dynamic" or "fluid") and not (as some
> > > might
> > > > >assume) a propaganda euphemism.
> > > > >The context was something like, "Well, this is a kinetic military
> > event
> > > > and
> > > > >so Obama needs to blah blah blah...."
> > > > >
> > > > >JL
> > > > >On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 8:52 AM, Ben Zimmer
> > > > ><bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu>wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > > > Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> > > > > > Subject:      Re: kinetic
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > 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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