SALT & redundancy
Posted by ESC on November 22, 2001
In Reply to: SALT & redundancy posted by R. Berg on November 22, 2001
: : : I'm hoping someone out there in cyber space can fill me in on the origin of the euphemism, collateral damage. I writing an english paper on the development of this phrase, and I'm having trouble tracking down its beginnings.
: : : Thannks, Jewels
: : Safire's New Political Dictionary has two mentions of collateral damage:
: : SALT -
"Strategic Arms Limitation Talks begun in Helsinki in November 1969, between the
Soviet Union and the U.S. Most often used redundantly, as SALT talks.'.There were
two SALT rounds: SALT I lasted from 1969 through 1972; SALT II lasted from 1973
to 1979.The vocabulary of nuclear warfare causes some shudders (see UNTHINKABLE
THOUGHTS), and in some cases, deliberately mocks itself: the acronym for 'Mutual
Assured Destruction' is MAD. Despite these trepidations, things must have names,
and in 1975 the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency issued its revised 'SALT lexicon,'
selections from which follows:.Collateral Damage: The damage to surrounding human
and non-human resources, either military or non-military, as the result of action
or strikes directed specifically against enemy forces of military facilities.
This term was turned into a euphemism during the Gulf War of 1991." From Safire's New Political Dictionary by William Safire (Random House, New York, 1993). Pages
682-683.
: : EUPHEMISMS, POLITICAL - ".The Gulf War of 1990-91 produced its
own spate of euphemisms: 'collateral damage' (civilian casualties resulting from
bombing military targets). From Safire's New Political Dictionary by William
Safire (Random House, New York, 1993). Page 227.
: : The term is also found in 20th Century Words: The Story of New Words in English Over the Last 100 Years by John Ayto (Oxford University Press, New York, 1999). Page 466: "collateral damage n. destruction or injury beyond the intent or expectation of an aggressor, usually occurring in a civilian area surrounding a military target. Commonly used as a euphemism for 'accidentally killing civilians.' ."
: I had thought "SALT talks" stood for "Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty talks" and hence was not redundant. Wasn't this so?
I don't know. I was just quoting Safire.
- SALT & redundancy Maille 01/18/02
- More collateral damage ESC 11/23/01