Loss of precision is one of the best reasons for opposing change in the language. ("Not what I learnt at school" being one of the worst.)
Jonathan
I understood that the term was derived from a film, and I find that Wikipedia says that.thirdcrank wrote: ↑12 Oct 2021, 2:25pm We don't have a system for recording who coined a new usage or, indeed, what they meant when they did so. A big disadvantage with new expressions is that a burst of popular usage can give them credibility. I've looked up "gaslighting" at some point and doubt if I could define it without another look, always assuming that the meaning hasn't changed in between times, but the fact that people repeat something, doesn't necessarily make the underlying allegation true.
The term is derived from the title of the play and films entitled Gas Light which are stories of a husband who uses trickery to convince his wife that she is insane in order to steal from her.[
Agree with the bold. (Not totally onboard with the latter statement ...)
All I'm say is that if somebody is alleging that the bit I've highlighted applies, then in the interests of clarity, those are the words to use. One of my starting points is that even where there are names for specific offences, people get it wrong eg they report being robbed when they've had a burglary. It's not something that does my head in, but I know it can cause confusion if people use the same expression to mean different thingsMike Sales wrote: ↑12 Oct 2021, 2:35pm
The term is derived from the title of the play and films entitled Gas Light which are stories of a husband who uses trickery to convince his wife that she is insane in order to steal from her. (My bold)
I'm not sure that you can choose between them?
What do you call a Ford van that's alway breaking down?thirdcrank wrote: ↑18 Oct 2021, 5:35pm When I see a vehicle marked HORSES IN TRANSIT I have been known to remark "That's not a transit." (Cries of "frequently!")