[Ads-l] to kneecap

[Ben Zimmer]

That's an unusual oversight from the major dictionaries. (Merriam-Webster
and American Heritage are similarly literal in their definitions.)
Figurative "kneecapping" has been around since at least 1978:

Arizona Republic, May 21, 1978, p. A6
[Syndicated columnist Victor Reisel:] Jerry Wurf, a street orator himself
and now the head of the AFL-CIO's biggest union, the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees, said in effect the administration
had knee-capped the public employees.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20762017/kneecapped/

Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus-Leader, Oct. 18, 1980, p. 3
[Associated Press:] "This forces [Jimmy] Carter to defend his record in the
final days when he'd like to be on the offensive," [Reagan's issues
coordinator Tim] Brady said. "It kneecapped him."
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20761798/kneecapped/


On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 3:36 PM, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kneecap <
> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kneecap>), Dictionary.com <
> http://dictionary.com/> (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/kneecap?s=ts <
> http://www.dictionary.com/browse/kneecap?s=ts>) and the English OLD (
> https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kneecap <https://en.
> oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kneecap>) all have kneecap as a verb
> meaning to injure the kneecap. Both Dictionary.com <http://dictionary.com/>
> and the OLD insist this is by shooting.
>
> Ironically, the only examples on the Dictionary.com <
> http://dictionary.com/> page of the verb are illustrations of a different
> meaning:
>
> At the same time, Tea Partyers are fending off Republican attempts to
> “kneecap” the movement as a whole, says Carender.
> (With Incumbents To Protect, The Tea Party Is Now Playing Defense <
> http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/20/with-
> incumbents-to-protect-the-tea-party-is-now-playing-defense.
> html?source=dictionary>)
>
> You cannot kneecap a statistic, though you can sometimes make it limp.
> (How Long, How Long Did We Sing that Song? <http://www.thedailybeast.com/
> articles/2010/06/16/colum-mccann-on-bloody-sunday-and-
> bloomsday.html?source=dictionary>)
>
> The internet is, of course, filled with examples of the verb “kneecap”
> having a figurative meaning.
>
> https://ipolitics.ca/2018/06/07/morning-brief-ontario-
> votes-and-republicans-revolt/ <https://ipolitics.ca/2018/06/
> 07/morning-brief-ontario-votes-and-republicans-revolt/>
> Speaker Paul Ryan also kneecapped Trump on his assertions that he could
> pardon himself in the event he is criminally charged as part of the Mueller
> investigation.
>
> https://www.roadsbridges.com/lot-fuss-over-injury <
> https://www.roadsbridges.com/lot-fuss-over-injury>
> It is not an easy task when funding has been kneecapped.
>
> https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-44356733 <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-44356733
> >
> I knew nothing. I was kneecapped on Friday morning
>

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