At a certain point, what people mean when they use a word becomes its meaning.
William SafireRead
Sometimes I know the meaning of a word but am tired of it and feel the need for an unfamiliar, especially precise or poetic term, perhaps one with a nuance that flatters my readership's exquisite sensitivity.
More from William Safire
All quotes →Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.
William SafireRead
Dangling punch lines to forgotten stories remain in the language like the smile of the Cheshire cat.
William SafireRead
Never assume the obvious is true.
William SafireRead
Stop worrying about the 'dumbing down' of our language by bloggers, tweeters, cableheads and MSM thumbsuckers engaged in a 'race to the bottom' of the page by little minds confined to little words.
William SafireRead
Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.
William SafireRead