word of the year?

[Geoff Nathan]

At another university, which had a large number of young, somewhat naive Malaysian (overwhelmingly Muslim) linguistics students, my wife was told by a twenty-something girl she was counselling about 'life' that she couldn't get pregnant if the boy was an American (and presumably Christian). So it's not just random congressmen... Sigh... Geoff Geoffrey S. Nathan Faculty Liaison, C&IT and Professor, Linguistics Program http://blogs.wayne.edu/proftech/ +1 (313) 577-1259 (C&IT) +1 (313) 577-8621 (English/Linguistics) ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:24:22 PM
> Subject: Re: word of the year?
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: word of the year?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> It occurred to me that there was once a superstition that a woman
> could get
> pregnant only if she, er, had, um, a certain feeling during the, ah,
> act.
> Thus, very few actual ("legitimate") rape victims could get pregnant.
> You can imagine how pleased I was to discover that I'm not crazy and
> my
> memory still kind of functions:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-h-word/2012/aug/20/legitimate-rape-medieval-medical-concept
> So Congressman Akin's remarks (based on the knowledge of "doctors")
> are
> perfectly sensible.
> To the medieval mind.
> JL
> On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 12:28 PM, 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: word of the year?
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > 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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> >
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
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