Monday, April 24, 2006

You say this has been just another typical day for you huh?

As of roughly 6:00 a.m. the headline on MSNBC.COM reads Spasm of violence jolts Baghdad

I'm not sure this is the proper use of the word "spasm." Via Merriam-Webster online:



Main Entry: spasm
Pronunciation: 'spa-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English spasme, from Middle French, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from span to draw, pull
1 : an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction
2 : a sudden violent and temporary effort or emotion


There's nothing temporary, abnormal or sudden about violence in Iraq. If the media weren't stricken with institutional ADD they might realize that fact.

3 comments:

Don Snabulus said...

They must be using the geological time perspective. This spasm of violence is a Holocene occurence.

Dean Wormer said...

Ha!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry - the insurgency is in its last throes. How do I know? The definition of Throe is thus:
throe
n.
1. A severe pang or SPASM of pain, as in childbirth. See Synonyms at pain.
2. throes A condition of agonizing struggle or trouble: a country in the throes of economic collapse.