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Suppose somebody is arguing against a particular plan, and they raise a problem with it, but deceptively. The person is opposed to the plan for a different, less persuasive reason, and they secretly don't believe the stated problem to be as serious as they make it seem. They are putting obstacles in the path. Can that spurious problem be called a canard? Looking it up on Wiktionary, I see it defined only as a hoax story. By habit, I not only want to say "that's a canard" in these situations, but "that's a false canard". This doesn't seem to be an actual phrase in use anywhere! I also have it in my head that canard means "flag", which it doesn't (it means "duck"). Can you untangle my malapropism? Is there a proper phrase for this concept that sounds at all similar? (It's not "false flag", nor is it "petard", which confusingly goes along with the word "hoist", like hoisting a flag, but is actually a firecracker and "hoist" there means to blow up, and anyway there's no "false petard" - is there?) Card Zero (talk) 21:49, 26 September 2021 (UTC)
Language desk | ||
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< September 25 | << Aug | September | Oct >> | Current desk > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Language Reference Desk Archives |
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The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
Suppose somebody is arguing against a particular plan, and they raise a problem with it, but deceptively. The person is opposed to the plan for a different, less persuasive reason, and they secretly don't believe the stated problem to be as serious as they make it seem. They are putting obstacles in the path. Can that spurious problem be called a canard? Looking it up on Wiktionary, I see it defined only as a hoax story. By habit, I not only want to say "that's a canard" in these situations, but "that's a false canard". This doesn't seem to be an actual phrase in use anywhere! I also have it in my head that canard means "flag", which it doesn't (it means "duck"). Can you untangle my malapropism? Is there a proper phrase for this concept that sounds at all similar? (It's not "false flag", nor is it "petard", which confusingly goes along with the word "hoist", like hoisting a flag, but is actually a firecracker and "hoist" there means to blow up, and anyway there's no "false petard" - is there?) Card Zero (talk) 21:49, 26 September 2021 (UTC)