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Language Police

ziggy on 2003-03-21T00:14:49

Sometimes, I wish we hadn't banished all things French. Language police can be a good thing at times.

Like today. Various spokespeople for the W administration have latched onto the word «decapitate» to describe the aim of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The US Media have latched onto this usage and are repeating it. Incessantly.

Methinks that someone in the administration has chosen this word because it is (1) a $2 word, (2) polysyllabic, (3) of latin origin and (4) rather divorced from it's direct and viceral meaning: behead.

Wordnet reports two definitions in Webster1913 for «decapitate»:

  1. To cut off the head of; to behead.
  2. To remove summarily from office. [Colloq. U. S.]
I'm not buying the "US colloquialism" as anything more than a euphemism. And it's sad to see the complete lack of rhetorical flair (and diplomacy) in the W administration. It takes the all fun out of parsing the pronouncements from the Pentagon and the White House.

Confused

pudge on 2003-03-26T03:53:41

I heard "decapitate" used in reference to the initial strike, designed to kill Hussein. The word seems entirely appopriate to me, for that.

Re:Confused

ziggy on 2003-03-26T04:14:19

Even so, "decapitate" has a more literal connotation, as in death by guillotine, machete, or other sharp implement. Using cruise missiles to decapitate someone is like building a nuclear power plant to power an electric razor.

Even if they meant decapitating the regime, not the person, the intent is still to exsanguinate the intent of the war to make it sound more palatable.

Re:Confused

pudge on 2003-03-26T04:20:14

I don't know how talking about removing the head of someone is exsanguination ... still, I took it to mean the effort to remove the head of the regime, which is the second definition you quoted. :)