spycraft; tradecraft

[Jonathan Lighter]

Can you believe OED doesn't have an entry for "spycraft"? (455,000 raw
hits.)

And its treatment of the now synonymous "tradecraft" (one cite from 1961)
is inadequate.

In fact, the latter is now virtually synonymous with "spying."  Lo:

http://www.upi.com/blog/2014/02/06/State-Department-calls-leaked-diplomatic-conversation-a-new-low-in-Russian-tradecraft/2281391726555/#ixzz2svyy9kVh

"WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A private conversation between U.S. Ambassador
to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland
was recorded and posted to YouTube on Tuesday, a leak that the State
Department seemed to attribute to Russia and referred to as 'a new low in
Russian tradecraft' at a daily press briefing on Thursday."

Observe the lack of antecedent, a strong indicator of lexicalization.

JL


--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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