The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #115334   Message #2469660
Posted By: Nerd
19-Oct-08 - 01:47 AM
Thread Name: Folk gets surprise boost on BBC TV
Subject: RE: Folk gets surprise boost on BBC TV
Diane,

Convenient how every time your facts are proven wrong, it turns out that you were "being ironic." I don't think anyone here buys it, though, your tortuous attempts to look clever by referencing "Blackadder" notwithstanding.

Funnily enough, you only dig yourself in deeper when you reveal that you don't have a clue what "apologist" means. (Hint: "Apologist" is derived from the Greek root apologia, meaning a speech in defense of something, and came down in English primarily within Christian tradition, in which Paul is the original apologist for the religion. Note that Paul does not apologize for Christianity, but quite the contrary writes passionate letters explaining why Christianity is the best religion out there.)

Thus, Edmondson was quite rightly described as an "apologist for folk music," if what he was doing was explaining why folk music was so good.

Modern English "apologize" has curiously reversed the meaning of "apologia," so that to "apologize" is to acknowledge one's behavior as bad or incorrect, and to ask forgiveness for it.

But then, you knew that, right? You were just "being ironic."