Quote:
I asked Philip B. Corbett, associate managing editor for standards, to describe the way The Times uses each of these words.
“People seem to think we should have a long list of approved words and another one of banned words,” he said. “We don’t. For the most part, we use the dictionary like everyone else, and try to use language that is clear and accurate.”
[
Times]
For a clear and accurate word, found in the dictionary but not in the
Times:
Quote:
THE ARTS
The Carpetbagger column on Thursday, about Ben Affleck, the director, producer and star of the film “Argo,” misstated the origin of a vulgar and obvious punch line used several times in the movie. Tony Mendez, who as a C.I.A. officer in 1979 helped six Americans escape from Iran — the subject of the film — has written that a colleague “once told a group of us a profane ‘knock-knock’ joke, with the word ‘Argo’ in the punch line.” The line was not coined by Mr. Affleck and the screenwriter Chris Terrio.
Those seeking to satisfy their inner 7-year-old can consult the
Guardian:
Quote:
Affleck's Argo is an oddball mix of political thriller and movie biz satire, flicking between Tehran and Tinseltown to create an entertaining, if shamelessly embellished account of one of the CIA's strangest operations. Mendez's fascinating report on "the Canadian caper" suggests none of the palpitating tension of Chris Terrio's screenplay. The mission is described as strange, but not particularly stressful, with the first meeting between Mendez and the hostages descending into a fit of giggles over a knock-knock joke based on their phoney movie's title ("Ahhh go fuck yourself" is the punchline). There's very little of that levity in the film. The hostages are grim and one-dimensional; Affleck's Mendez is a surly, determined work horse. The joke is included, but co-opted as a clarion call for the cause. "Argo fuck yourself," says Goodman down the line from Hollywood. "Argo fuck yourself," Affleck intones solemnly back.
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