[dirtboy]

In his essay "Politics and the English Language," Orwell said, "What is above all needed (in honest speaking) is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about."

I find my conservatism is rooted in this concept, more than anything else. I am a conservative about the meaning of words. Time and time again, liberals on other forums have decried me as some kind of Neanderthal for taking such a view. I'm just not sophisticated enough, you see, to understand all the nuances of meaning.

Horsecrap. I've been around long enough to have witnessed the destruction of clear meaning by individuals, corporations and government time and time again, in their efforts to circumvent the consequences of the dictionary meaning of words. If words can be slotted to whatever meaning is useful, then laws, contracts and the Constitution have no meaning other than what a robed priesthood deems them to have. Which is why the battles over the Supreme Court have become so vicious - because, with the acceptance of the infinite elasticity of meaning, SCOTUS becomes the final arbiter of all things in our society.

[Raymann]

I'm picky about the meaning of words also. From conception to week 8 it's called an embryo. From week 9 until birth it's called a fetus. From birth until age 2 it's a baby (a bit longer for liberals) Just use the scientific terms that we all understand and don't cloud the issues.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Define the meaning of the words and you define the argument.

Define the argument and you have won the argument.

[maryz]

Like Humpty-Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland -- "Words mean what I say they mean -- neither more nor less!"

Of course, the media play an enormous role in influencing usage . . .

[philman_36]

I am a conservative about the meaning of words.
Republic and democracy...know what I mean?