[bookshare-discuss] word use
- From: talmage@xxxxxxxxxx
- To: bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 21:36:26 -0500
Hi All,
The following passage is from Assassination Day. I had to laugh when I
heard it and went back to see if I heard correctly.
Abu Nidal was engaged in a firefight with two
gunmen who had adopted the prone position and were working
in tandem at the far end of the drive. Whenever he
attempted to deal with one man the other put down
prophylactic fire, forcing him to use the Ford
Transit for cover as Walib manoeuvred the
vehicle back and forth to turn it through ninety
degrees in the narrow width of the drive.
I had to go to the dictionary to look up prophylactic to see if it could be
considered a correct use of the word and was surprised to find it
could. Regardless, this is either a difference in British English from
U.S. English (the author is British), or a bit of zeal with the
thesaurus. I just can't imagine hearing a U.S. soldier saying, "Okay guys,
I want you to put down some prophylactic fire."
Dave
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