Beg the Question

From Zanecorpwiki

Beg the question: meaning a circular argument whose assumptions presuppose their conclusion. It clearly begs the question to assert that God created man 6,000 years ago because the Bible says so.

Vulgar usage: a statement that raises an obvious question. To say that 'begging the question' means something other than it's common usage begs the question of whom defines such things.

Certainly those that use BTQ in the classic sense stand to lose a very useful term in all this. What I find interesting, though, is that the vulgar meaning is the much clearer meaning, which is exactly why BTQ as shorthand for a technical concept is so useful. Yet, those that defend BTQ's classical meaning offer only umbridge and never a constructive criticism. Especially interesting when there's such an obvious one to make: just use 'raises the question'.

In fact, I suspect that raises the question used to be fairly quite common since it is even clearer than begs the question when meant in the vulgar sense. Indeed, one would suspect that raises the question supported the adoption of begs the question due to their similarity. The latter now being often preferred since it sounds more learned.

A generation of college BAs who heard BTQ once or twice seeking to emulate something they don't understand very well.

All pretty standard linguistic fair. However, I did hear John Stewart the other day use BTQ in the vulgar sense and it reminded me of the phenomenon where Hillary constantly used whom improperly because it sounded better.