I hate the way the author makes it all political, but I did enjoy his article on lies. During these campaigns we keep hearing about liars, and something has been bothering me about everyone accusing everyone of lying (with the exception of Ben Carson). This author clarifies it for me. A lie goes beyond a misstatement or not analyzing all the facts. It is, as Swaim says "...a lie in the moral sense - must be intended to deceive, and must be expressed to someone to whom the truth is owed. You aren't lying if you misstate a statistic without intending to, or if you give a fake name to a prying stranger on a subway."

I think we've gotten to the point that anyone making a mistake is "lying."

I am sure you know about liars and bullshitters. A liar knows the truth and deliberately chooses to say the opposite. A bullshitter doesn't know or care about the truth and will say anything at all to get his way. I think we all know a famous example.

I noticed the author reverted to the common practice of calling something "the X-word". Why he chose to do it here I don't understand, since the word is in no way taboo like others.

Speaking of X-words, I recall some commentator complaining that by using the term "N-word", you avoid using a forbidden word but force the listener to supply it in their own thoughts. Similarly with F-word and C-word.

Was X-word in that article? I didn't see it. I know what N-word is. Is C-word "cunt?" What is "X-word?"

It uses L-word as a substitution for "lie".

Sorry. i should have set that as "X"-word or "X-word" to indicate you insert the letter of choice. C-word is ambiguous since there are so many variables depending on the listener;s biases or experiences. Thus it is easily a point of contention if the speaker and listener misunderstand the usage. Which is why it's important use the total term, political correctness be damned.

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Originally posted by Proofreader:
Sorry. i should have set that as "X"-word or "X-word" to indicate you insert the letter of choice. C-word is ambiguous since there are so many variables depending on the listener;s biases or experiences. Thus it is easily a point of contention if the speaker and listener misunderstand the usage. Which is why it's important use the total term, political correctness be damned.

Really? "C-word" is not ambiguous at all. Imo it makes no sense to censor it because everyone already knows what the word is.

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Really? "C-word" is not ambiguous at all. Imo it makes no sense to censor it because everyone already knows what the word is.

Really? C-word stands for several different things with "cancer" being the leas offensive.

The OED has 2 definitions, the second is

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Any of various words having c as their initial letter, which are regarded in a particular context as contentious or taboo; spec. the word ‘cancer’

I still feel reasonably certain that most English speakers would give the same answer if you asked them "what does the c-word stand for."

This is like the distinction between sales puffery and misrepresentation. Both are intended to make a sale, but one is a statement of opinion, the other of fact. And it's not an easy distinction. Statements politicians make while running for office are akin to the superlatives one hears in an auto-sales showroom.

Judge Learned Hand: "Puffery is the kind of talk which no sensible person takes seriously."

And there's the matter of 'intention to deceive' as well. Take Bill Clinton's infamous "I never had sex with that woman." Some might see it as 'the kind of talk no sensible person takes seriously'-- because the evidence was [supposedly] clear, so one could assume he's trying to protect the reputation of the woman &/or the office of the presidency from ill repute. Or again, perhaps he's speaking from conviction, as one of many in his generation to consider anything short of coitus as 'not having sex'.

The comment thread to the article is pretty funny. There are a few thoughtful statements, but it quickly degenerates into folks calling each others' candidates liars

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Imo it makes no sense to censor it because everyone already knows what the word is.

Totally agree.