pivot

[Jonathan Lighter]

> Simply changing the subject is not a "pivot".

I think that's being unjustifiably precise.  Obviously the best way to
pivot is to leave the suckers thinking that you haven't pivoted at all. But
pivoting poorly is still pivoting.

Of course an element missing from my original definition is that usually
you can "pivot" only in answer to a real or implied question.  If I change
the subject in the middle of a monologue, that wouldn't really be
"pivoting" unless, perhaps, it was to avoid going into embarrassing details
that I might be questioned on later.


JL


On Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 3:35 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: pivot
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> It's been in media use (political commentary) at least since 2000. It
> might have been an internal campaign term with the Clinton people, but
> it also might have been wider. But "pivot" does not merely mean "change
> the subject", but to change the subject in a particular way while
> pretending to answer the question. The idea seems to be to use the
> question as a jump point for a talking point. Simply changing the
> subject is not a "pivot".
>
>     VS-)
>
> On 6/10/2012 9:56 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > I first noticed this a few months ago in _Game Change_, the Gov. Palin
> > movie.  Her adviser suggested that whenever she's asked a question she
> > can't answer, she should "pivot," i.e., immediately change the subject.
> >
> > Since then I've heard it used a lot in reference to politicians.
> >
> > Not in OED.
> >
> > JL
>
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