word of the year?

[Joel S. Berson]

At 8/20/2012 02:49 PM, Charles C Doyle wrote:
>Regarding the medieval teaching to which Jonathan adverts, I'd
>always thought only of the "up side":   Since procreation was the
>sole sanctioned purpose of sexual congress, the man was (perhaps)
>encouraged to be attentive to his partner's feelings on the occasion.

As I wrote a little too soon, yes.  And I think one can find that
taught in Puritan and other 18th-century writings (sermons, "manuals").

Joel


>Charlie
>
>________________________________________
>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of
>Jonathan Lighter [wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM]
>Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:24 PM
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>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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