Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
Oh dear. I know that one can't stop people doing silly things with words, and if enough people do it, then it becomes the new meaning.
But that's just not right.
Mind you, it's certainly not a word that I use anyway.
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It's like rewarding people for being ill-educated. Every time I hear "begs the question" used to mean "asks the question" it makes me bonkers. It's one thing to disembowel and abuse a phrase that can be replaced by myriad others--but
begs the question has a very specific and unique meaning. Now when you use it, people don't understand (any longer) what the hades you MEAN.
Frustrating as hell. And, of course, you can hardly say, "well, that's because you're an illiterate *&^%$#@," now, can you?
Hitch