[Ads-l] "be absolved of" = "be confirmed or proved of"

[Theresa Fisher]

Hi -

I'm a journalist (I've reached out before. I write about sleep, mostly).
I'm wondering about the origin of the phrase "sleep with" being used as a
euphemism for sex. If anyone has insight, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 8:43 AM, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Joel Berson <berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "be absolved of" = "be confirmed or proved of"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> As the news media begin to present Kane in a more favorable light, they
> are=
>  paraphrasing his utterance so that he no longer appears to be convicting
> h=
> imself.=C2=A0 For example, in the NY Times -- "Kane has not been charged
> in=
>  the case, and he told reporters last week that he had 'done nothing
> wrong'=
>  and that he expected to be exonerated."
>
> However, at almost the same moment I was reading this, a TV news program
> pl=
> ayed a video of his statement, and he clearly said "absolved of having
> done=
>  nothing wrong."
>
> Joel
>       From: Joel Berson <berson at att.net>
>  To: American Dialect Society <ads-l at listserv.uga.edu>=20
>  Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 12:27 PM
>  Subject: "be absolved of" =3D "be confirmed or proved of"
>   =20
> Chicago Blackhaws star Patrick Kane, an accused sexual assaultist, has
> apol=
> ogized -- not to his (alleged) victim, because "he has too much respect
> for=
>  the legal process", but to his family, teammates, "this incredible
> organiz=
> ation and, of course, our fans."
>
> He adds, "I am confident once all the facts are brought to light I will be
> =
> absolved of having done nothing wrong."
>
> Joel
>
>
>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>


-- 

Theresa Fisher
fisher.theresa at gmail.com
914 500 3434

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org