word of the year?

[Ben Zimmer]

There was also Ron Paul's "honest rape."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/04/ron-paul-tells-piers-morgan-only-honest-rape-merits-abortion/


On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 12:02 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
> Not as catchy as Whoopi Goldberg's "rape rape" (in her description of what
> Roman Polanski didn't commit with the 14-year-old girl).
>
> On Aug 20, 2012, at 10:23 AM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:
>
> > On Aug 20, 2012, at 6:43 AM, David Barnhart wrote:
> >
> >> What was going through the speaker's mind.  Legitimate rape!?!?
> >>
> >> From: Hollis Barnhart [mailto:hbarnhart at highlands.com]
> >> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 8:35 AM
> >> To: David Barnhart
> >> Subject: word of the year?
> >>
> >> worst euphemism maybe?  legitimate rape:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/legitimate-rape-and-todd-akins-myths/2012/08/20/f8c048b4-ea76-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_blog.html
> >
> > my guess is that he was (mentally) contrasting forcible rape ("real
> > rape", "legitimate rape") with statutory rape.  the legal presumption is
> > that sex with a minor cannot by definition be consensual and therefore must
> > have been coerced, even if not forcible -- so is rape (labeled in various
> > ways in different jurisdictions, but known informally as "statutory rape").
> > but people recognize that the legal minor in these cases often enters
> > willingly into the sexual relations (and most people are uncomfortable with
> > the idea that a specific date makes the difference between rape and
> > consensual sex).
> >
> > if that's what Akin meant, then of course he should have said so, rather
> > than merely saying he mis-spoke (if he mis-spoke, what did he *intend* to
> > say instead?).  but then he would be exposing an attitude that might well be
> > unpopular with a significant portion of the electorate.
> >
> > the other problem with his original statement is his expressed belief
> > that forcible rape doesn't make women pregnant, because their bodies --
> > somehow, magically --prevent conception.  he is simply wrong about that as a
> > matter of science, and it's a really ugly idea.  the only way for Akin to
> > fix that would be for him to admit that he was wrong ("mis-speaking" doesn't
> > begin to cover the case), but i fear he's convinced of the truth of this
> > myth, though he realizes that it would be impolitic to admit that.  so his
> > follow-up statement disregards the issue entirely, in favor of apparently
> > supportive platitudes.
> >
> > really, a remarkable performance.
> >

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