Just a brief note for those unfamiliar with some colloquial English. Two usages have sprung to mind this week as I have gaped in wonder at synchronicity.

The first word I'd like to mention is "blag", which despite some attempts to borrow it for cheap use related to blogging still means to fool someone into giving you something by eloquent charm and a little dishonesty, as in "he was able to blag a seat in the Senate".

The second usage is "made off", meaning to steal from someone by sleight of hand and evasion, as in the phrase "the thief made off with all my money."

So what's going on with the world when two enormous alleged crimes are allegedly perpetrated by people named after the alleged crime? Are Blagojevich and Madoff actually plot devices in some huge Batman scriptwriter conspiracy? Can we reduce our law enforcement costs significantly by looking for people called "Fraudstein", "J Ripper" or even "Nick"? Enquiring minds need to know.

--
Posted By webmink to WebMink on 12/16/2008 12:22:00 PM