Comments on: It must have been a toss-up between “Cutting Edge” and “The Scalpel Life” http://www.theoldhag.com/it-must-have-been-a-toss-up-between-cutting-edge-and-the-scalpel-life.html Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:53:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Old Hag http://www.theoldhag.com/it-must-have-been-a-toss-up-between-cutting-edge-and-the-scalpel-life.html/comment-page-1#comment-722 Old Hag Wed, 16 Feb 2005 05:24:17 +0000 /?p=210#comment-722 Btw, as any woman will tell you, a man acting on the premise that a question is already settled and a man deliberately dodging a question are indistinguishable. Btw, as any woman will tell you, a man acting on the premise that a question is already settled and a man deliberately dodging a question are indistinguishable.

]]> By: Old Hag http://www.theoldhag.com/it-must-have-been-a-toss-up-between-cutting-edge-and-the-scalpel-life.html/comment-page-1#comment-721 Old Hag Wed, 16 Feb 2005 05:09:33 +0000 /?p=210#comment-721 Why are my comments not forwarding to my Neomail suddenly? THAT is inexcusable. Next time, Chris, chocolates. Then some dictionary reading, if you desire. Why are my comments not forwarding to my Neomail suddenly? THAT is inexcusable.

Next time, Chris, chocolates. Then some dictionary reading, if you desire.

]]> By: Chris http://www.theoldhag.com/it-must-have-been-a-toss-up-between-cutting-edge-and-the-scalpel-life.html/comment-page-1#comment-707 Chris Tue, 15 Feb 2005 06:17:31 +0000 /?p=210#comment-707 According to my Meriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage, the phrase "beg the question" actually describes a logical error in which someone arguing the truth of one proposition (for example, "locusts are bad") instead argues another, in a way that assumes the first proposition has already been settled (e.g. "locusts must be eradicated"). The Latin term for this error is petitio principii, traditionally translated in English as "begging the question." So dodging the issue is the result of begging the question, but not the very act of begging it. It follows that the definition of "begging the question" as "sidestepping, evading," is itself a bastardization of the original meaning. But I most emphatically do not agree with the editor of the dictionary when he writes that people who miss this distinction are "untrained in the finer points of logical argument." That is an inexcusable slander. Happy Valentine's Day! According to my Meriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage, the phrase “beg the question” actually describes a logical error in which someone arguing the truth of one proposition (for example, “locusts are bad”) instead argues another, in a way that assumes the first proposition has already been settled (e.g. “locusts must be eradicated”). The Latin term for this error is petitio principii, traditionally translated in English as “begging the question.” So dodging the issue is the result of begging the question, but not the very act of begging it.

It follows that the definition of “begging the question” as “sidestepping, evading,” is itself a bastardization of the original meaning.

But I most emphatically do not agree with the editor of the dictionary when he writes that people who miss this distinction are “untrained in the finer points of logical argument.” That is an inexcusable slander.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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