Date:  Mon, 19 Feb 1996 12:48:50 -0500

From:  Jesse T Sheidlower <jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PANIX.COM>

Subject: "Beg the question": NYT 2-fer



Those following the use of "beg the question" to mean "raise

the question" might be interested to know that yesterday's

New York Times had (at least) two examples of this usage. Not

bad for one day.



1996 New York Times (18 Feb.) Sports 9: [Columnist G. Vecsey

wrote previously to criticize rich people who support athletes;

a letter-to-editor responds:] Vecsey would have us believe

that he is aobve it all. However, this begs the question: How

is _his_ bread buttered?



1996 Richard Powers, in New York Times (18 Feb.) Week in Review 13:

[Writing about Deep Thought, a chess computer:] We have reached

the age when brute force can outperform creativity. This statement,

of course, begs the question of what creativity is.



Best,



Jesse Sheidlower

Random House Reference

<jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]panix.com>