Some Misused Words.
JN A NOTE on misapplied and misunderstood quotations and phrases, Fowler and Fowler, in “ The King’s English,” write:— Before “ leading question,” or “ the exception proves the rule ” is written, a lawyer should be consulted; before cui bono, Cicero; before “ more honoured in the breach than the observance,” Hamlet. A leading question is one that unfairly helps a witness to a desired answer; cui bono, a notorious trap for journalists, is a Roman lawyer’s maxim (meaning Who benefited?) that is invoked for the purpose of placing the responsibility for a crime; “ the exception proves the rule,” is an absurdity only to those who do not understand it; and ‘‘more honoured” means not that the rule is generally broken, but that it is better broken. If this note is inadequate for the purposes of “ J.C.M.,” who has written to “ Touchstone ” on the subject, a reference to “The King’s English ” is recommended. TOUCHSTONE.
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 456, 18 May 1932, Page 6
Word Count
153Some Misused Words. Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 456, 18 May 1932, Page 6
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