"war with words" aka "paper war"?

[Joel S. Berson]

Words are flung, swords are thrust, pistols are fired.  All are
instruments.  I don't see the difference.

Joel

At 2/3/2014 09:24 AM, Amy West wrote:
>"War with words" seems to parallel "duel with swords" or "duel with
>pistols". There is an instrumentality sense of "with", and the object of
>the war follows the second with.
>
>Certainly, the more idiomatic construction is "war of words," but this
>doesn't become so opaque to the readers as to be non-sensical.

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