Re: [Pan-users] Re: Pan Docs 070101

[Tim Kynerd]

Duncan wrote:
> Tim Kynerd <address@hidden> posted
> address@hidden, excerpted below, on  Sun, 07 Jan 2007 09:13:12
> -0600:
>
>   
> > All of which is only the tip of a very large iceberg of linguistic
> > irritation. ("Tow the line," for example, has been annoying me for years.)
> >     
>
> The one that I suppose I deliberately still use "wrong" is "that begs the
> question."  I use as the literal meaning of the words, which I'm told is
> incorrect, tho it's becoming a semi-accepted usage (as is "tow the line")
> because it's so common.  If they don't /mean/ to "beg" the question, why
> is it /phrased/ as if they do?  Proper meaning, smopper meaning, I'm using
> the literal meaning in my writing, and anyone that doesn't like it, can go
> read someone else's writing!  This isn't Composition 101, this is Real
> Life (R).
>
>   
Unfortunately, if you want to actually communicate with other people, 
you can't make one-sided decisions about what words and phrases mean. 
"Beg the question" is an old term in English and has an accepted meaning 
that is different from the literal meaning (like many, many other 
English phrases!).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beg_the_question

For what I assume you use as the literal meaning of "beg the question," 
"raise the question" works perfectly well. "Bring up the question" also 
works.

Yes, I'm a prescriptivist, and proud of it. :-P

Best,
Tim